Splatter Flicks: How to Make Low-Budget Horror Films

by Sara Caldwell

Features dozens of detailed interviews with directors, producers, F/X pros, and more • Horror movies get better distribution deals—so they’re great for independent filmmakers • Entertaining and informative, packed with insightful and sometimes hilarious anecdotes. Everyone who’s ever longed to make their very own horror movie needs a copy of Splatter Flicks, a comprehensive guide that shows aspiring filmmakers exactly how today’s most successful creators of horror finance, produce, and market their films. Interviews with the creative geniuses behind such low-budget moneymakers as Dead Serious, Till Death Do Us Part, Scarecrow, and many others reveal such dark secrets as how to make a movie for $ 2,000, how to get the best shrieks from scream queens, how to capture fear on film, how to make the perfect monster...the list goes on and on—it won’t stop—make it stop—aaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!! Yes, Splatter Flicks is horrifying...in a good way.

224 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2006

Reviews

[Roger Alderman]

This title helped me create my own ongoing web series found on youtube "Shipwreck Theater Presents Cthulhu and Friends." Thanks for the inspiration.

[Derrick]

Simple and informative introduction to filmmaking from pre- to post-production with a horror bent but useful to filmmakers of any genre.

[Swamy Atul]

I found the business aspect of distributing a low budget horror film interesting. I need to find a friend in the film industry who can help me understand how mainstream movies are distributed and how profits are booked.
The book points you to useful references, websites and artists who, hardcore horror fans can follow. I think I'm beginning to become one. ZOMG!
The details of how film-makers use lighting, camera and music to create a scary effect was interesting. Hopefully I have picked up enough big words to sound like a knowledgeable film geek. LOLJK I never sound knowledgeable.

[Russell Holbrook]

I read this book when I was seriously into making my own low to no budget horror films. I found it inspiring but it didn't really have much information that I found useful to my personal situation. I still felt that the best course of action was just to make some movies and figure it out for myself as I went along. Anyway, the book was hella fun to read, though, and is very well written. My favorite thing about this book was that it introduced me to one of my all-time favorite low-brow horror / comedy movies, The Janitor, and, for that, I am eternally grateful.