This Halloween you could throw a boring old party or hand out the same old candy. Or you could gather your friends and family and create a cinematic masterpiece.

Follow us as we lead you to the summer camp that is The Mac|Life Guide to Creating a Cheap and Cheesy Horror Film.

 

Do your homework:

Before you start filming the next slasher/romantic comedy, you'll want to bone up on your favorite horror films. Observe the subtle nuances of the horror genre: The moral compass and how it pertains to a character's ability to survive. The art of misdirection. The inability to run faster then a guy with a limp. Study these techniques and then shamelessly steal them for your own short film.

 

The Classics

Story time:

Create a story based on what interests you and can easily be created onscreen. A 90-minute horror film set in space with a herd of intergalactic beasts chasing your hero through a city of the future? Might be overreaching. A three to five-page script set in a location that's easily accessible would be your best bet. Zombies are easy to create, while monsters with six heads are not. Fake weapons are easy to get at a toy store, while full-size tanks are difficult and somewhat pricey to rent. Know your limitations and keep it simple.

 

Storyboard:

Sketch out some of the key scenes before shooting. Getting your ideas on paper before setting up the camera will save time and keep your friends/crew happy. Don't worry that you're not an artist -- stick figures are more than adequate.

 

Here is a blank storyboard PDF to help get you started.

 

Shooting party time:

Contrary to popular belief, a movie set is not a fun place to be. Gathering your friends or family together to shoot your short film can be like herding cats. Folks tend to shy away from anything that seems like work on their day off. Instead of having a boring movie shoot, throw a fun shooting party. Serve food and drinks and keep the energy going. At the end of the shoot, challenge your friends to edit their own copy of the film.

 

If all goes well you may soon be hosting parties for a Thanksgiving film, a Christmas film, or maybe even an Arbor Day action thriller.

 

Equipment:

Just because you don't own a DV camera doesn't mean you can't shoot a film. Almost every digital still camera on the market has a video function, and keep in mind that the image quality you'd get shooting with your cell phone could add a whole new dimension to your masterpiece. Your only real constraint with these low-tech approaches is the amount of movement you can have onscreen. Low-end video tends to blur, so keep your shots as static as possible. Once you have your film shot and imported into your computer, Use the freeware program MPEG Streamclip to encode your clips for use with iMovie, Final Cut Pro, or Final Cut Express.

 

Launch MPEG Streamclip, drop the video clip into the program window. Choose file>Convert to Quicktime, use the settings below and click make movie.

 

 

If you do own a DV camera, you're ready to rock.

 

More...

 

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Sound:

Dialogue: Wild sound from the mic on your camera or cell phone can be pretty shoddy. You pick up every little piece of sound, from the dog barking down the street to the cement truck that happened to roll on by during your final scene. This can easily ruin your film.

 

You have two choices to help alleviate the sound problem. You can purchase a boom mic and boom pole or wireless microphones for your film. Of course that takes away from the "cheap and cheesy" aspect of your project. A second option is the voiceover option in iMovie, Final Cut Express, and Final Cut Pro. Have your actors read their lines again into the computer, much like you would for an animated film. For even more fun, have your actors switch voices or create a kung fu horror film complete with bad dubbing.

 

Clean up your "brains" dialogue

 

Background noises: Foley is the art of creating sounds that coincide with the action on screen. If you've ever seen a car squeal its tires as it speeds away on a dirt road, that's Foley. Using the voiceover option again, re-create the footsteps, creaks, and clanks from your film and add them to the mix. If stomping around your house doesn't seem like fun, iLife ships with premade Foley sounds.

 

Music: Use music to heighten the drama of your short film. GarageBand should be adequate in this respect. Horror films use lots of string instruments to create tension. Just try not to overdo it.

 

Editing:

iMovie is more than adequate to edit your film. Remember, your aim is to create a cheesy film you would see on late-night TV after the infomercials have ended. Jarring cuts, continuity issues, and crew members wandering into the shot are all part of the authentic experience.

 

A couple of quick tips:

 

Day for night: Shooting at night can be extremely difficult. Instead of trying to figure out how to light the entire neighborhood, shoot your scene during the day and adjust the color in editing. Bring up the blue level and darken the image until you have the look you are aiming for.

 

Zombies are scarier at night

 

Feed me: Be sure to have plenty of food around while shooting. A fed crew is a happy crew.

 

Lights: A flashlight makes for quick, cheap lighting in dark rooms. You can use it to create shadows or highlight a character or object. All you need is someone to hold it.

 

Don't stress: A bossy director will suck all the fun out of the filming. Stay upbeat and don't take yourself too seriously. You're making a horror film, not "Gone with the Wind."

 

Premiere: Throw a viewing party for your finished piece. No matter how the film turns out, watching it with your cast, crew, and rabid fan base can be a bonding experience. And who knows, maybe you've found your next career.