The Diary of A Horror Film Maker

Yesterday afternoon, I found myself doing something I have never done before on a warm spring afternoon, especially after work.
I was mowing the lawn.
While this isn't the most interesting place to begin my story, it is indeed important. As a creative kind of guy, I often try to recall things but find they are truly nowhere to be found in my mind. The harder I try, the further it recoils into the recesses of my brain. And yet oftentimes I will be driving along a stretch of road, or a song will come on, and every word from a conversation I had, or an idea I had comes flooding back. And every time I hear that song, or drive that road, my mind will take me back.
Just like now, when I mow my lawn from now on, when I am in the south east corner of my front yard, I will remember the premise for a film that popped in my head yesterday.
Not just any film, but a horror film. And not just any horror film, but the dead set cheapest possible film I can make. Granted, the idea in all its zero budget glory, didn't exactly come out of nowhere. For a while now, I've been simmering on the idea of the cheapest film I can make, and its always meant to be a horror. For many reasons, of which, I don't think I'll go into just at this point.

Nor will I be going into what exactly the idea was, or where its headed. Because this blog is about film making. Or more specifically, low budget film making and how I got there from the original concept (yesterday) to the finished product (mmm, your guess could be as good as mine). It is a journey through the whole process, aimed at a whole lot of people. I hope fans of horror will be able to see what goes into a film production, and film makers who have given up on trying to make a film through the usual methods (studios, government assistance). But also, I hope to keep a record of the process for myself, as the last attempt had a whole lot of great and terrible things happen, that perhaps one day, while driving along some stretch of road west of here, I'll suddenly remember but at the moment, only its failure rests in my memory.

I guess that 'failure' and my other projects should first be noted. In 2003 I made my first short film, AutoMotive made for about seven hundred bucks. I have a few issues with it, but overall pretty happy with my first film. I then went on to make BLuE and alcoHULKic, two shorts for a kids and alcohol and drugs short film contest. alcoHULKic, while amusing (at least to myself) never really stood a chance. BLuE, I was told, missed out being in the top ten, coming in at 11. A few years later, however, I entered it into a local film festival and won Best Local Film for it. Although to be honest, I'm so proud of that film I'm just happy to see people's reactions from it, as it is a bit of a confrontational drama.

After that, I made the Cannibal Cooking Show, which started out great, but it kind of loses it halway through.

After this, a very small opportunity arose where I decided to jump in and make a feature film. That small opportunity was simply an empty house in remote Kandos available for a week, in three weeks time. One week later, I had the script. Two weeks later, I had the cast, crew, props and wardrobe. And the week after, I wished I'd had more time. Regardless, filming began with a four day four night shooting schedule, with half a storyboard and a few larger mishaps. The first being, of course and quite obviously, we ran out of time. After the first day, the schedule started getting more and more rushed, and the resulting video captured showed this. Everything we took on that first day was gold, and if we'd been able to keep up that level...well, I probably wouldn't need to be making a zero budget feature now.

Needless to say, Cherry Tree Hill, with a one night pick up shoot, six weeks in the editing suite, would become not much of anything. Although, in saying that, It is back in my editing suite and is going through a serious rewrite/reedit with the aim of being a pretty decent 20 minute short.

And so, here I am, almost five years later, finally finding hope and inspiration once again (they were behind the lounge all along!) I am going to bite the bullet and have one more try.

So when I was finished mowing yesterday, my wife and I sat down to soak the rest of the afternoon sun up, when I laid my big plan down. She was hopeful and excited, as any loving make up special effect artist horror movie loving serial killer studying wife would. An hour or so later, and a few tidy beverages, the general outline has been decided on, the villain rounded out, and the plan has begun. (Although, I might like to add that at this very moment, an element of fear has arisen in me as I look out the window and see said serial killer studying wife digging a rather large hole in the backyard).


Tonight the next player will be brought on board (hopefully) and if so, my serial killer will have a face...