How to Create a Scary Movie at Home

Producers will tell you, you can't make a movie on $10 and a dream. I say, that's not true. Anyone can make a movie if they have a camera and something to put in front of it. But you will to figure out what you can do with your $10. Obviously, there are problems in making an effective scary movie with so small of a budget. Roger Corman, producer of low-budget, B-movie horror films like Pirahna II: The Spawning once bragged that he filmed the fall of the Roman Empire with 5 extras and a bush. A group of aspiring filmmakers set out to create The Blair Witch Project on a budget of $25,000. It took in almost $248,000,000 at the theater. That's a tremendous profit, wouldn't you say.

The first thing you need in telling any story is the story itself

Map out everything; from characters and their roles in the story to the plot. You'll need to define who is the antagonist(s) and who is the protagonist(s). If there aren't any real antagonists, simply define the obstacles in which your protagonists will have to go through. A story isn't much of a story if there isn't any kind of challenge.

You'll need to make your story as simple as possible. Design the plot and the characters around your budget. Don't write a lot of special effects scenes. Don't write a lot of scenes that require different locations. Keep your production values in the story limited to anything and everything around you that is free. After all, when cameras start rolling, you never know whether the movie will ever be marketed or end up featured on YouTube.com.

Get your actors, props or whatever you want in front of the camera

Since the time a person could hold a camera, they could photograph just about anything. You don't need any specific camera to make a movie. Although having a high-definition camera may invariably produce a better image than some old home video camcorder, every kind of camera can record images. You'll need to map out scenes, draw up storyboards, and plan your production. Ask family members to play supporting or even principal characters in your movie. Use what you already own as props. If the story calls for a special prop that could cost you a lot of money, you may want to think about revising the script.

Again, the key is to keep things simple.

Start rolling

Now, one of the major obstacles you may encounter is the schedules of actors and other people working behind the camera. Some family members need to work. This can create a strain on the project. You'll need to mold everything in your production to fit their needs. Just don't forget what is happening in each scene. Don't forget what your actors or should I say, your characters were wearing on their previous day of shooting. Keep their costumes separate from their daily clothing.

Last but certainly not least is editing, music and perhaps even some special effects

Editing today requires a computer. You have to transfer everything you've filmed into your computer. You'll need a lot of memory. Video can take up a lot of room. Digital editing will only require such software as Adobe Premiere Pro. Maybe there others out there on the market that are even better. But I trust my old Premiere. I know the programming pretty well by now. All that it requires is some skill in optics. On your computer screen, you'll see a series of frames. You'll see sections specifically for video and audio. You'll see a minute counter. With this software, you can take one image, link it to another image and presto, you've got 10 minutes of completed footage. By dropping frames, you can actually speed up a scene. By adding frames, you can draw out a scene and perhaps even add depth to your characters.

The music and sound effects will go in the audio sections. First and foremost, you need to find your sound effect or music. Perhaps, download the sound effects from certain websites. There are other sites that could allow you to download the music for your movie. But, copyright laws prohibit the use of certain - probably every piece of music you can find on the net. That means you have to go seek out local bands in your area.

As for the special effects, they need special programs in and of themselves. Some of the special effects programming is amount the most difficult to understand if you ask me. So the best and easiest way to get your effects done, find someone who knows this kind of software and how to create the effects you want.

Tricks of the scary movie

For a foggy effect, you can always buy one of those electric foggers or use some dry ice. The foggers can produce a potent, potentially hazardous fumes. Dry ice is pure.

For bloody effects, throw some paint around or get one of those tubes of fake blood. Of course, neither of these will be easy to clean off.

For scary makeup, use regular makeup kits from the store. Use more tones of white, gray or brown. If you've got a mother like my mom, she'll help do makeup while she's also playing in your movie.

Here are a few more articles that might help you in making your movie

Two Day Film Challenge by AC Producer Nick Brown
Secrets of Movie Making by AC Producer Nick S.
Movie Making Made Easy by AC Producer Solis