HORROR/IMPORTANT RULES

[Dil]

NO ARSE SEEMS TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT HORROR,WELL A FEW SEEM TO BUT HEY WHATEVER!

NO1) THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS DEATHS (FOCUS ON THESE SCENES THE MOST)

NO2) NEVER EVER, EVER, EVER CRACK A JOKE IN A HORROR FILM/SCRIPT KEEP THE TONE MORBID.

NO3) YOUR THE DIRECTOR SO GRAB SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU,YOU, CREATE A CERTAIN STYLE SO PEOPLE WILL ONLY HAVE TO TAKE ONE LOOK AT A SCENE AND AUTOMATICALLY KNOW IT'S YOUR STYLE/FILM U WILL BE MORE REMEMBERED THIS WAY.

NO4) MONSTERS,GRRR,OH HOW SCARY NO THERE NOT BUT THEY CAN BE IF U GET IT SPOT ON, SHADOWS,CONSTANT RAIN FALL, KEEP IT SIMPLE.

NO5) YOU WANT TO SCARE THE PANTS OFF PEOPLE YOU MAKE A GHOST FILM,THERES sh*t LOADS OF TRUE GHOST STORIES OUT THERE PICK ONE AND MAKE IT INTO A FILM OR STEAL IDEAS FROM SOME OF THEM FOR YOUR DEATH SCENES, YOU'LL NEVER RUN OUT OF IDEAS FROM A GHOST BOOK (JOHN AND ANNE SPENCER)

NO6) THE PEOPLE THAT SCARE EASY R THE PEOPLE THAT WILL CREATE THE BEST HORROR FILMS, SO RUN STUFF THROUGH YOUR HEAD AND IF IT SENDS SHIVERS DOWN YOUR SPINE THEN YOUR ON THE RIGHT TRACK.

NO7) EAT SLEEP LIVE HORROR, WATCH HORROR FILMS CONSTANTLY (U PROBABLY DO) BUT DONT SIT THERE AND ENJOY THEM, WATCH THEM, LOOK AT HOW THEY DO THINGS, LOOK AT THE MISTAKES THEY MADE AND TRY AND MAKE THEM BETTER THIS WILL BOOST YOUR EGO, HEY IF A PRO LIKE JOHN CARPENTER FUCKS UP AND U CAN MAKE A SCENE BETTER THEN U ROCK.

NO8) BLOOD SHOULD BE LEFT FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL HORRORS AND SLASHERS, NEVER USE BLOOD ONLY IF YOU HAVE TO.

NO9) IMAGINATION IS THE KEY

NO10) AND FINALLY, WHEN YOU HAVE CONJURED UP A GREAT HORROR STORY/IDEA FOR A FILM TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND OTHERS AROUND YOU BUT DONT TELL THEM IT'S YOUR IDEA TELL THEM IT'S A TRUE STORY THAT ONCE HAPPENED IN YOUR AREA BE DEADLY SERIOUS AND THEN SEE WHAT THERE REACTION IS TO IT,INSTED OF IT BEING OH WOW THATS A GOOD IDEA,IT SHOULD TURN OUT(IF GOOD ENOUGH) NO WAY IS THAT REALLY TRUE THATS SO SPOOKY,UR ON TO A WINNER, IF U CAN TELL A GOOD HORROR STORY THEN U CAN MAKE ONE.

OK THE END COME AND SLATE ME I DONT GIVE A sh*t

[hydrofilms]

What is this guy on?

[mrmyers]

LOL. Sum of it can help i guess.

[Alex O]

Dil,

You seem to be a fan of horror films. Have you written any stories? How about posting one, even if only a draft?

[DAD]

What's he on? Probably Dill Weed. LOL

Sorry, I just had to say that.

It would seem this guy just loves to try and stir up trouble and cause problems and is doing his best to make us think he some kind of "God of Horror Films". My guess he just another hack that can't write and takes his frustrations out on other people by attacking them. I'd love for you prove me wrong, Dil, but as of yet you haven't said anything constructive and haven't shown any talent what-so-ever.

[mandor700]

Yea, he seems a bit of a purest to me.

Come on dill if we all thought like you there would be nothing new, no origional ideas and therefore no art.

[AJ]

Dil,

The first rule should actually be... "THERE ARE NO RULES"

The moment you try to restrict yourself, using a set of 'rules' which are actually little more than a list of non-specific comments, then you will very quickly find you are stifling your voice.

There are many, many elements that make up a succesful film (horror or otherwise) and probably chief among these is the 'Suspension of disbelief' which is to say that, basically, your audience MUST be along for the ride, they should be enjoying your film and not sitting there thinking 'why would this guy be using a chainsaw, thats a really unwieldy and inaccurate weapon...' !!!

None of the things you mention are rules, they are just your point of view. Just because someone makes a film with a little black humour, or a monster, that doesn't make it any less scary. John Carpenters version of 'The Thing' has BOTH of those elements in it, and I am sure you would agree that it's a pretty scary film.

You seem to have a real bee in your bonnet about the horror genre, but you should try to take a step back for a moment and relax.

All that really matter is the YOU make films to your own rules, as long as you do that, as long as you are true to YOUR vision of horror... then why does it matter what the rest of us do?

There a good films and bad films, always have been and always will be (in horror or any other genre) the only way to make a movie the way you want to see it done, is to go out and do it.

Once you have made your true horror movie, everyone out there making bad movies will be able to see a shining example of how it ought to be done. ;D

I hope you'll take a bit of time to tell us about your projects, and not be so quick to swear and shout all over this forum.

All that will do is annoy people and make them less likely to listen to you.

I look forward to hearing your story ideas.

John

[Dil]

Thanks AJ, just pissed at everything at the moment more towards the frikin (see how i did that) film industry than u guys but i have to throw insults at some ducker force of habit so yes i do opoligise (sorry)

so my ideas ok (oh wait 'garfield' fart in a biscut tin and ask dad if he would like a custard cream) sorry had to say that.

i caint write a screenplay well i dont think i can, but i can write a story and it's these storys that id like to turn into films one day.

so ideas ok well which one.

1st) Disorder - This is not so much as horror but a dark comedy, it's about this girl that is brought up in a very odd town and as she grows older she begins to question things and eventually makes friends with the whole town folk. So anyway the odd thing about this town is that everybody suffers from a problem psychological or physical for example

'Kurt' - Suffers from memory loss/short term memory
and is always found in the local video store, the reason being is that Kurt has been stuck in the video store for 3 months now as he cannot choose a decent film to watch and when he does he forgets.

'Seth' - Suffers from (i caint remember wat it's called) he hates the outdoors ('game on' remember) but he tends to sleep walk and when he wakes he always finds himself in the woods, totally freaking out he always goes on his daily morning rampages through the town causeing havoc.
ECT

so anyway loads of stuff happens (im just writting the draft scenes out for this one)

2nd) Title unkown - I have written the 1st part to this book and trying to get it published now that i have sorted out the copyright.

so, It's a stormy christmas night - no wait i dont want to tell anyone about this really.

AJ send me ur e-mail and i'll send u my book it's not huge and i think it's an easy [e-mail]

I think u'll like it, oh yeah John Carpenters 'The Thing' i hated it i mean great effects for it's time but dam it was boring I thought 'Halloween 1' and 'The Fog' were much better, they have something about them thats just cool. But i can honestly say that the one time that i truly sh*t my pants was at the end of 'Dont Look Now' with that old midget lady in the red coat, god she was freaky!

[omen]

Hey some interesting points Dil, however I disagree w/ the point you make on not having any comedy in a horror picture. I happen to feel that it is very important to have some type of comedy in horror, it is the swing of emotion that makes the horror more profound. Please consider this.

[DAD]

Comedy or at the very least a moment of lightness is VERY important in a horror film. It acts a relief valve to allow the viewer a chance to catch their breath and get ready for the next scare ... kind of like the straight track on a roller coaster or the scream at the end of a scare. Both allow a person to release built up tension and move forward. A movie that is nothing but one scare after another is going to lose it's audience because the human psychi needs a moment to relax before going on. The movie The Tingler was based on this concept. In the movie it was discovered the when a person is scared a small creature begins to grow at the base of the spine and continues to grow until the person screams. The scream kills the creature saving the person from dying of fright. A scientist finds a way to extract one of these creatures while it is still growing and thus releases the tingler to grow uncontrolled. But look at any good horror film and you find at least few moments of comedy or lightness when the characters and the audience are allowed a breather. Good psychological health makes for good scares. Think roller coaster ride ... anticipation, payoff, relax a moment before the next ... APR.

[hydrofilms]

Comedy can work in a horror film - but it certainly isn't an essential element. Look at a film like Night of the Living Dead - you won't find any jokes in this film - this is one of the elements that makes the film so effective. The same can be said for Carpenter's version of The Thing.

Just got back from a screening of Cabin Fever and boy did it suck. very disappointed with that one. There was too much humour and it was only funny to the half dozen teenage girls who were sat 'annoyingly' close by.

[AJ]

Hey Dil,

I did e-mail you already, but if you don't have my e-mail address just PM me and I will let you know.

Sounds like you have plenty of ideas there, and writing a script is not really so difficult, I would reccomend giving it a shot. The best way to learn anything is just to do it (and I don't believe there is really any 'wrong' way to write a screenplay anyway... just find what works for you and stick with it).

Get yourself a copy of 'Story' by Robert McKee, and download a couple of scripts from Drews, you'll be writing them by the bucketload before you know it.

It's okay to be pissed at the industry, but bear in mind that many people here are probably of a similar mind, as I said before... the best way to change things is to go out there and start doing it.

E-mail me or PM me if you want to talk specifics.

John

[Dil]

No sorry dude i never got it or i did and deleted either way i never got it. So if u would'nt mind e-mail me and i'll send u the 1st part of the book.

Then u can let me know if it's ok or great or crap or what ever.

[Raym]

Hi

You've got some interesting rules here. I can understand why you posted them. There are alot of awful horror movies out there, and while I'm not a follower of "rules," some of these films could use one or two of yours.

Oh! and Hydrofilms, groovy avatar. Where's it from?

See ya

[armagecko]

I think his avatar is from his new flick, The Unseen. Check it out at www.theunseen.com. Looks like good stuff!