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ALIENS, Creature feature, DAWN OF THE DEAD, Each other, EVIL DEAD II, Family, Ghost stories, H.P. Lovecraft, JAWS, Ourselves, SNAKES ON A PLANE, THE EXORCIST, THE GRUDGE, The unknown -

HORROR STORYTELLING PART II: THE REVENGE

HORROR STORYTELLING PART II: THE REVENGE

In the first article we talked about the idea of starting with a base foundation of relatable human experience, and only then introducing the horror element. So then of course the question becomes: What should that horror element be? Just like the story that surrounds it, the horror element should be drawn from universal human experience. Even if it’s expressed within a supernatural or folklore-ish manner, the thing or idea we use to scare the audience carries the best punch when it is in some way relatable. Creature feature. A creature feature is any story in which our horror element...

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FRIDAY THE 13TH, HALLOWEEN, HELLRAISER, THE EXORCIST, THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, THE SHINING -

HORROR STORYTELLING

HORROR STORYTELLING

A horror story might be defined as a story in which the primary intention is to scare the audience. Being scared (within the confines of a safe environment) is fun. People spend money to watch horror movies and ride roller coasters for roughly the same reasons. In the same way a comedy needs to be funny in order to be successful, a horror movie needs to be scary. Scaring the audience isn’t just the prime goal, it’s the film’s raison d’etre. A movie that isn’t at least trying to scare the audience isn’t a horror movie; it’s something else. However,...

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commercial strategy, comparables, producing tools -

COMPARABLES

COMPARABLES

When putting together pitch materials for financing, one of the key things to include is a list of “comparables.” That is: five to 10 fairly recent (within the last decade or so) films that share common elements. When determining comparables, you’re looking at genre, sub-genre, paradigm, tone, level of name talent (that is, how big the movie stars in the movie are), the target audience, the budget level, and most importantly how the films did financially speaking. It’s important to note if the films were released primarily via streaming, if they did most of their business domestically, and/or how well...

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ambiguity, author, BARTON FINK, MILLER'S CROSSING, Roland Barthes, symbolism -

THE DEATH OF THE AUTHOR

THE DEATH OF THE AUTHOR

Someone sent me a script. It’s a pretty straight-forward narrative until act three, at which point the action shifts into a dreamlike space with a lot of symbolism and absurdity, etc. The writer asked me if I understood what the ending “meant.” To which I replied: “It doesn’t matter.” Because: Once the script starts indulging in dreamlike cinematic choices, the “meaning” of these choices no longer belong to the writer, or even to the film. They belong to the view of the film, the audience. This is The Death of the Author, as touched on by Roland Barthes in his...

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cinematic action, goal, human experience, protagonist, stakes, ticking clock, universal interest -

THE CINEMATIC AND THE UNIVERSAL

THE CINEMATIC AND THE UNIVERSAL

Lately, I’ve been watching THE BEAR. It’s a single-camera workplace half-hour comedy in construction, but as it takes place in a sandwich shop, with a chef for a protagonist, it’s also a cooking show. It is not the only cooking show; there are entire cable channels devoted this this sub-genre. We have star chefs who are famous with the general public. Cooking holds eternal interest for the viewing audience. It’s a very cinematic activity. We have a cacophonic ballet of action: roaring flames, clattering pots and pans, slicing knives, steam rising, ingredients sprinkling, the chef in constant activity and motion....

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