Sunday, August 22, 2010

Making A Living With Horror Movies

By Adriana Noton

As odd as it always seems, most people just love to sit together in a darkened theater, or in a darkened living room, getting scared witless by watching horror movies. The psychology of this trait is still a bit confusing, so that does not have to be deal with in depth here. But people sure do like scary movies, do they not?

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.

So when one is watching those things, does one ever wonder what kind of sick mind is putting them all together? Many do, and some to the point of fascination. There is a stereotypical type; they go to wacky conventions dressed up like ghouls and vampires on their time off. But those running those conventions know something that others do not.

The reason it is such an easy opening opportunity is because so many of them are done so cheaply. It is no film making secret that scary movies can be made on the cheap and still turn a profit. In fact, some have gone on to tremendous success after being made on the lowest of the low budgets. So with no money to spend they cannot hire big names. Here is where newbies, the vast unknown field of talent, can get that elusive first 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 whole attitude to take is that horror movies are fun to watch, so they must be fun to make. If an artist is serious about breaking into the business, they should consider making themselves available for the small roles in the small films. It is a great way to build up some real experience, and most have a blast doing it. - 2361

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