How to Make a Horror Film

Okay, I messed up and posted this assignment on the message board instead of putting it on my blog. Sorry about that...here goes.

The How-To guide that I picked for this activity was one for making a horror movie. I imagine that this was probably written by a younger person meant to give ideas for horror filmmaking to someone his age. There were two main problems that this author had with this guide: organization and lack of content in some areas. This guide was divided into 4 sections: Steps in the Process, Tips, Warnings, and Things You'll Need. Now, I'm not sure if the author got to choose the order of these topics, but it would seem a lot wiser from the start if you put the Things You'll Need Section first, as that would help the Process section make a lot more sense. Also, getting all of the necessary items together is actually the first step in the process, so it makes sense that it would be the first section. There doesn't also seem to be much of a plan when it comes to how to order the whole Process section. Some of the steps seem to be organized chronologically based on the actual filmmaking process, but other steps just seemed to be added out of sequence, as if the author remembered something and added right where he or she was in the writing process. There were also several things missing from the content and description of individual steps that led to some confusion (and more than a little laughter). First, the author does not go into detail at all about what type of camera would be good to use in this process (or even what features on a camera might be useful to use in making a horror movie). The author says that a filmmaker should use "scary or scratchy" music without explaining what they meant by such music, or they could at least provide some examples of what that type of music is. Although the author has some good ideas for tips, he or she doesn't explain them fully enough that someone who isn't as familiar with literature or film would understand. For example, the author points out that the filmmaker should make an ordinary object the center of the drama, which is a fantastic idea for a horror movie, but he or she doesn't go on to explain what this means, how it can be done, or give examples of this idea. Also, the author completely skips most of the actual plot process of the filmmaking, although he or she does state, "You don't really need a script." Now, I'm as cynical as the next film buff when it comes to the horrific state of horror movies these days, but no script at all? I would think that some writing, or at least a detailed outline, would have to be involved in a good horror film, even an amateur one. Why not take the time to do one when it's cheap to write one? Some of the funniest parts of the guide included the use of Robert DeNiro's Hide and Seek as a prime example of the scary horror movie. Out of all the scary movies out there, that's the one that comes to mind first? Also, in the Things You'll Need section, the author has included "chainsaw" with no explanation whatsoever. I hope this kid has good parents.