Why are most low-budget horror films unsuccessful?

[JoeTalls]

Hey everyone-

I purchased my first camera in November (Panasonic AG-DVX100B), and I'm preparing to shoot my first short film in mid January. Without giving anything away, it's going to be a roughly 10-15 minute horror film. The screenplay is more of a psychological horror than it is a gory slasher flick, though. However, I'm working on a very low budget and I've noticed that most films like this get a bad response from viewers and other filmmakers alike. So, my question is this:

Why are most low-budget horror films unsuccessful? Additionally, what have you seen in these films that was good?

Personally, I think that poor acting is a major problem. In a genre like horror, if it sounds like the actors/actresses are reading directly from a script, it ruins the film for me. I can suspend my disbelief when it comes to low budget effects, but the acting needs to be believable.

My main goal is to try and avoid common mistakes made by other filmmakers. So, let me know your do's and dont's for a horror movie.

Thanks!

[hotelfboy55]

alot of low budget horror films are very cliche. thats probobly why. try approaching your movie in a unique way! the blair witch project was very low budget but was a huge succes because it was unique. it was filmed by the victims making it more beleivable. I'm not saying copy the blair witch project but try something unique! I hope I was a help!

[WantedinMalibu]

Its because there so many to choose from. Try making yours unique from all the others. When we think low budget horror, we think slashers flicks, instead take a paper out of the Blair Witch's project like Hotelfboy said, hell their a movie out which as done this and is going to make alot of $$. Well at less in opening day. Cloverfield anyone?

[Luchastyle]

most low budget horror flicks suck ass cracks. there are so many, and most lack any kind of creativity and quality because everyone thinks they can make one and get some money. but they suck. horror is the most profitable genre as far as return rate goes because they CAN be done on a low budget. but in the most simple terms possible, most of them lick taint and that's why they aren't well received.

[Roel]

most films fail, both comercial and artistic but because horror has a very dedicated fan base we also watch the crappy ones.

Bad romantic comedies get forgoten, zombie3; nights of terror is avalible on dvd (i have it) so it's not so much a case of why are those films made but why do we watch them?

[trspballer7]

Some horror films are succesful because the are actually scary! I mean, isnt that the main point of why people see them? Most lowbudge horror films are unsucessful(sp?) because the are not scary. The main two reasons that they are not scary is because of the plot or story, and the acting. Acting is something you only have mild control over. If you are a young or new director/writer, then you probably dont have a big choice over who your actors will be...as long as they can come on time. When you become a bigger and better director(hopefully) then you can actually have people audition for your movie, thus having better more beleivable acting.

The story/plot is the next thing. If it is something the horror needs to be real. When I say real, I mean that it has to be remotely possible. Aliens, wolfman, and other things are in real. Its not the monster or killer that is the scarry part, It is how the people are reacting to it. If it seems like the way the audience would react, then you have a good story.

But then again, this is all my personal oppinion and may be totally false. so just be UNIQUE! and no cliches!

[Captain SteveBeard]

Because the producers rely on images and jumpy parts to scare the viewer and not the plot.

[SyxxGage]

It's because alot of the low budget horror flicks are the first foray into filmmaking for many people. They believe it's easier to do and unfortunately take too many shortcuts in the essential areas such as writing, lighting, and shot composition. Rather than take some time to revamp a scene, they just add blood and gore hoping the shock value will compensate for the other lacking areas. This is not to say that ALL new filmmakers fall into this category, but there is a high percentage that does.

[rrh]

Because "horror is big right now."

Hilarious stories of the methods behind bad horror movies:

http://sex-in-a-sub.blogspot.com/2006/09/trilogy-of-terror-part-1-acting-dead.html
http://sex-in-a-sub.blogspot.com/2006/09/trilogy-of-terror-part-2-i-was.html
http://sex-in-a-sub.blogspot.com/2006/09/trilogy-of-terror-part-3-was-che.html

[edwardlavender]

Just remember, blood and guts a horror movie does not make.

It can help...but if you don't have anything else backing it up...it's just red splatter on the screen.

Personally, I love a creepy atmosphere more than blood and guts. Don't get me wrong, I love over the top gore...mostly for a laugh. But most people want to go see a horror flick to be scared...and usually that over the top gore is only good for the laugh and shock factor.

Black Christmas, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween...

Those movies have almost no blood in them. But they create some of the creepiest atmospheres.

Black Christmas (1974) is a fucking masterpiece when it comes to making you feel creeped out. I watch hundreds of horror movies and I can honestly say that I don't get scared all that much anymore. But I watched Black Christmas last year and it creeped me the fuck out.

Halloween is my favorite horror flick of all time, but I can honestly say that if it didn't have it's brilliant score, it wouldn't be half the movie it is. I have trouble listening to it at night still to this day. Not to mention one of the creepiest masks in all of slasher history.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre has this documentary feel to it and it makes you feel like this could totally happen...and IS happening...it doesn't help that it tells you in the beginning that it is based (very loosely, mind you) on actual events.

A lot of people don't like The Blair Witch Project, and I can't really understand why. The whole movie freaked me out when I saw it. The woods are a dangerous place to be there are so many dangerous things in the woods. The thing is, people usually say, there's no such thing as witches so I don't get scared of that movie, but they aren't thinking of the other possibilities of the woods. In the Blair Witch Project, it never says what is out there. You never know fully what's going on, just that there is SOMETHING out there. It could be some crazy cult out there for all you know.

Which brings me to my next point. When I see too much of a monster, most of the time it becomes less scary. Like Jaws, I love Jaws because they kept showing the shark to a minimum. All the sequels became hokey because the Shark looked so fake it was just kind of laughable. That is another point. People put so much time into making a monster, that they want to show it off so they give it unnecessary screen time. Both Predator and the original Alien do a great job at not showing the whole thing. They show bits and pieces of the creatures but never really the whole thing...until towards the end. But those creatures looked fantastic so it was OK to give us a money shot after all that time. If your creature sucks then don't show it to us, show us pieces of the creature. When we can't fully grasp something, it's much scarier.

And this may be just me. But I prefer my horror movies with things that can actually happen. I usually hate ghost movies. The only ghost movies I really enjoy are The Fog (original) and Dead Silence.

Most people who produce these low budget horror movies don't have the respect for the genre.

Example: I was and still am talking to this producer and I told him that I wanted to write the movie just real and vicious. And he wanted to add a supernatural element to it. So instead of a tangible villain, it would be a spiritual villain. I personally think it's a lame idea and would never do it that way. Spirits and ghosts don't scare me in movies, sure, if I was in a haunted house, I would totally freak out but in movies, ghosts are just dumb most of the time. And they would be very dumb in my script. And I'm very open to changes that need to be made, but to alter a story like that and make some "Sci-Fi original"?...no thanks. I want to do something original for once. I'm just going to have to talk some sense into this guy. He's 56 and this would be his first feature film. He usually does music videos for bands and such.

But anyways, most of these low budget horror films are unsuccessful because they aren't original and just aren't good. All the other stuff has been said before my post...acting, lighting, shot composition, editing. All these things factor into it.

My buddy shot a zombie feature and sold it to you Dimension (Automaton Transfusion set to drop March 08). I saw it and its so well done. So don't get discouraged...some horror films are successful, they just have to be good haha.


-zac

[cameraman]

It is all acting and camera angles. Remember that the unknown scares us most.

[Westcroft]

You ever notice how so many horror flicks start with a scene of either some dude walking around or a couple in the woods (never a character who is important) and then they get killed right away by something that isn't seen...

Then in cuts and it's usually the credits then the story begins with the main characters... I've seen this formula so many times.... it's like "glimpse of horror to come" > Opening Credits Roll > Enter Main Character

Try not to fall into this pattern, it'll throw the audience off if something totally out of the box happens.

[Captain SteveBeard]

edwardlavender, that was an awesome post, I couldn't agree with you more.

[edwardlavender]

edwardlavender, that was an awesome post, I couldn't agree with you more.

Why thank you, sir. I love nothing more when I can actually make a post that sheds some light on a situation.

-zac

[DeadFishProductions]

No matter what people say about the Blair Witch Project that was pretty successful and quite low budget.

Really though Horror has been done to death! (ha ha "done to death..." and it's horror!!!)
but yeah... The genre is old and most new horror movies (low and high budget) are quite shitty.

Of course the genre is great fun to do in terms of the actual production side!

[deadbydawn]

Most of the horror films today, are just taking what has already been recycled in horror's past, If your really looking to change the horror ground you gotta make something people aren't used to

take them on a ride where they dont know whats coming.

If you think about it the films that are so honored by horror fans were some of the first of there kinds (halloween extremley low budget) (night of the living dead VERY low budget) (nightmare on elm street decent budget - Creative Idea)

Don't follow the money making sequels try something original and ballsy. Good Luck

[Flamingo With A Spoon Productions]

Seeing is not believing.

Use atmosphere not images.

[PreviewOfThePast]

usually the first horror movie in a series is the low budget one, and the best one
(SAW)
or a low budget one is a gateway to bigger budget one
(Last House On The Left)

[mixed up zombie]

has any one seen the carnival of souls one of the best low budget horror films ever next to notld

[BonOfTheDead]

scifi channel anyone? man-squito? wtf.

[aphexdream]

Actually.. for pure horror factor on low budget horror films, it really fails to achieve that really scary factor I mean, it is low budget and it is very limited. Blair Witch Project, Alien, and the Saw series (except for the 4th edition) were all really ..different? Those movies took a different approach to making horror and squeezed every single penny out of it, they used their limited sets and ideas to their advantages.

Other than that.. really bad low budget horror movies are just novelties, not something you really wanna watch to get scared but just to watch how comical it really is.. sometimes I get the feeling that directors do that on purpose to squeeze a few laughs in there ... that's just me.

[gcubedproductions]

Do something creative. Also, try using senses other than sight to make scary things (The Blair Witch Project). Too many short horrors just reveal everything and throw as much blood as possible in to try and be scary. That is clearly not the way to go.