Love them or hate them, there’s something inside all of us that’s curious about what’s hiding in the dark. Be it vampires, werewolves, or killer clowns, horror films can turn around huge returns on investments.
Why are Horror Films Important?
Countless psychologists have attempted to determine what draws audiences to the horror genre, but the most popular theory is that it’s a form of “exposure therapy” – forcing ourselves to face fear as a way to overcome it. The world’s a scary place! But by confronting our fears about that boogeyman hiding under the bed, we might be able to cope with the true horrors of the world.
But you don’t need prosthetics, or huge amounts of gore, to evoke fear. Films like The Babadook (2014) grossed over $10,000,000 and you never really see the antagonist. Similarly, The Blair Witch Project (1999) had a budget of $60,000 and has grossed over $245,000,000! So what are the tricks to making a successful horror?
Tapping into Primal Fear
It doesn’t matter who you are, we all have the same two primal fears.
- Fear of the unknown
- Fear of being powerless
The fear of the unknown can be exploited by introducing threats or phenomena that defy expectation or comprehension. Is it a demon, a virus, a serial killer, or something else entirely? The inability to label and understand can amplify our sense of dread too – which is why many horrors fall short as soon as the monster is revealed or explained. Some great examples are:
- The shapeshifting alien in The Thing (1982)
- The fast-moving creatures in A Quiet Place (2018)
- Any eldritch entity in Lovecraftian horror
The fear of powerlessness meanwhile can be exploited through vulnerability, subjugation, or being stripped of autonomy. It’s most effective when utilized in safe spaces, for example:
- The popular beach in Jaws (Spielberg, 1975)
- The beautiful but nightmarish hotel in The Shining (Kubrick, 1980)
- The home invasions in The Strangers (Bertino, 2008)
Theme
You’ve probably heard it before. Great stories are about theme, theme, and theme. Horror stories are no exception.
Having a maniac wielding a machete isn’t terrifying if we’re not rooting for the characters, or can see some semblance of ourselves in them.
Great films force us to ask questions, not only about ourselves but about people or society. Popular themes in horror include racism, gender roles, disease, grief, trauma, authoritarianism or even the power of friendship.
Humour
Comedy? In a horror film? Ok, hear me out.
Films like Poltergeist (Hooper, 1982) exploit this brilliantly. Remember that it can be exhausting being scared for an entire film. So lacing it with moments of light-heartedness, or scenes where your audience laughs uncomfortably, can just provide a little much needed relief.
Of course, you can then break that and scare the living daylights out of your audience (if that’s what you’re into).
Lighting
Here are some tips to create suspenseful lighting:
Uplighting: Placing a light source beneath the subject to cast unordinary shadows on the face.
Backlighting: Positioning the light to create a silhouette effect, and combining it with haze/fog, will create a sense of ambiguity.
Elongated Shadows: Long shadows create foreboding, so are a great way to build tension too.
Camera
There are a few tricks to put your audience on edge purely through camerawork. These are:
- Shooting through a window can allude to a voyeuristic entity, in other words, something’s watching you…
- Underexposure done correctly is a powerful tool. Color grading can go a long way, but the more practical effects you can do the more effective any digital process is.
- Haze / Fog is your friend! One reason why that scene on the moors in An American Werewolf in London (Landis, 1981) is so powerful is because of fog!
- The Dutch Tilt (or indeed any out-of-place camera angle) can really help create a jarring feel.
Conclusion
Creating an effective horror film on a budget is certainly achievable if you can tap into primal fears, develop compelling themes, strategically use humor, and effectively leverage lighting and camerawork techniques. While having a substantial budget allows for more advanced special effects and production values, even low-budget horror classics like Paranormal Activity (Peli, 2009) have proven that scaring audiences doesn’t necessarily require deep pockets.
The most crucial element is understanding what frightens people at a core level – the unknown and feelings of powerlessness. By crafting stories and scenarios that prey on these vulnerabilities in fresh and inventive ways, you can maximize tension and suspense without relying heavily on expensive set pieces or CGI.
Additionally, creating thematic depth beyond just jump scares can cultivate a richer, more rewarding experience for viewers. With some ingenuity in your writing, skilled deployment of creative lighting and unsettling camerawork, and a firm grasp on what instills dread in audiences, you can craft a memorable, impactful horror experience on a modest budget.
Josh Armstrong is currently crowdfunding for his sequel short film ‘Momo’s Back‘. Watch the original below:
Josh is a jack-of-all-trades in film, but is predominantly a screenwriter, completing his Masters in Screenwriting at Raindance. He specialises in fantastical horror and, under the pseudonym Last Dog Films, has won numerous awards for his work including a Pinewood Filmmaker Award. He’s currently working with teams to create YouTube short films, a documentary on UK’s UFOs, and is working towards creating a fictional TV series influenced by his unusual hobby of infiltrating cults.
