THE FILMMAKER’S

BOOK OF THE DEAD

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Popcorn Artwork by Dave Lange, Darkmatter Studios

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THE FILMMAKER’S

BOOK OF THE DEAD

Danny Draven

H OW TO M A K E YO U R OW N

H E A R T- R AC I N G H O R RO R M OV I E

AMSTERDAM • BOSTON • HEIDELBERG • LONDON

NEW YORK • OXFORD • PARIS • SAN DIEGO

SAN FRANCISCO • SINGAPORE • SYDNEY • TOKYO

Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier

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Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier

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This book and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by the

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Notices Knowledge and best practice in this fi eld are constantly changing. As new research and experience

broaden our understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical

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Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating

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instructions, or ideas contained in the material herein.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataDraven, Danny.

The fi lmmaker’s book of the dead/Danny Draven.

p. cm.

1. Horror fi lms--Production and direction. I. Title.

PN1995.9.H6D73 2010

791.43’6164--dc22

2009029535

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication DataA catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN: 978-0-240-81206-9

For information on all Focal Press publications

visit our website at www.elsevierdirect.com

09 10 11 12 13 5 4 3 2 1

Printed in the United States of America

Typeset by: diacriTech, Chennai, India

Cover Artwork & Design by : Dave Lange

Darkmatter Studios

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FOR MY MUSES

JOSEPHINE & LUCAS

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FOREWORD by Charles Band xi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xiii

PART ONE • THE HORROR GENRE

Chapter 1 THE MECHANICS OF MONSTERS 3

PART TWO • PREPRODUCT ION

Chapter 2 GETTING STARTED 27

Chapter 3 CASTING A HORROR FILM 53

Chapter 4 THE HORROR FILM CREW 73

Chapter 5 PREPRODUCTION TIPS & TRICKS 85

PART THREE • PRODUCT ION

Chapter 6 PRODUCING A HORROR FILM 99

Chapter 7 DIRECTING A HORROR FILM 115

Chapter 8 CINEMATOGRAPHY OF A HORROR FILM 133

Chapter 9 WAR STORIES & ADVICE FROM THE TRENCHES 141

PART FOUR • POSTPRODUCT ION

Chapter 10 EDITING HORROR FILMS 157

Chapter 11 THE SOUND OF HORROR FILMS 171

Chapter 12 THE MUSIC OF HORROR FILMS 183

Chapter 13 CGI 199

Chapter 14 THE PITFALLS OF POSTPRODUCTION 209

T A B L E O F C ONT E NTS

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PART f ive • D ISTR IBUT ION and MARKET ING

Chapter 15 DISTRIBUTION FOR HORROR FILMS 223

Chapter 16 GENERAL DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS 251

Chapter 17 HORROR FILM FESTIVALS 265

Chapter 18 SELF-PROMOTION & MARKETING 277

Chapter 19 THE FUTURE OF HORROR 289

INDEX 295

Webs ite contents for draven ’s f ilmmaker ’s book of the dead

Website Extras

Chapter 2 Website Extras:

Cryptz schedule

Darkwalker shooting schedule

Deathbed shooting schedule

Ghost Month Production Schedule

Production Agreement Sample

Chapter 3 Website Extras:

Sample of non-union talent agreement

Chapter 7 Website Extras:

Sample of non-union director’s contract

Chapter 15 Website Extras:

Listing of horror distributors

Chapter 16 Website Extras:

As produced sample

Comprehensive CCSL Sample

Comprehensive combined continuity sample

Comprehensive dialogue list sample

Comprehensive spotting list sample

Simple CCSL sample

viii TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Simple combined continuity sample

Simple dialogue list sample

Time as produced sample

Music cue sheet sample

Chapter 17 Website Extras:

Listing of horror fi lm festivals

Chapter 18 Website Extras:

Listing of horror conventions

Listing of horror magazines

Video

Behind-the-Scenes Footage:

Blood Dolls

Castle Freak

Cryptz

Darkwalker

Dead Hate the Living

Demonic Toys

Evil Bong

Ghost Month

Ghost Month: Origins

Gingerdead Man

Hell Asylum

Lurking Fear

Puppetmaster

Horror Movie Trailers:

BioSlime

Cryptz

Dangerous Worry Dolls

Darkwalker

Deathbed

Demonic Toys

ixTABLE OF CONTENTS

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Dollman

Ghost Month

Gingerdead Man 2

Hell Asylum

Intruder

Invisible

Lurking Fear

Oblivion

Pit and the Pendulum

Puppetmaster 2

Puppetmaster 3

Robot Wars

Shrunken Heads

Skullheads

Trancers 2

Trancers 3

To access this content, visit the companion website at http://booksite.focalpress.com/companion/Draven. Use access code DRA8HL98FR53 to log in.

x TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Danny Draven is the renaissance fi lm dude! From the moment he joined

us at Full Moon Pictures almost 10 years ago (at the ridiculously young age

of 21!) his love and dedication to the genre along with his uncanny ability

to adapt to the never-ending new technologies put him into a

unique and very valuable category. Although Danny left Full

Moon a few years later to pursue his many independent

dreams, we have been associated ever since.

Independent fi lmmakers are certainly in

a new world today where practically anyone

can create, produce, and market a fi lm almost

single-handedly, and the cost to produce a feature

that way is practically zero. Back when I started out

in this intoxicating business, you had to have at least

$40,000–$50,000 to make a fi lm, you had to shoot

F OR E WOR D By Charles Band

Charles Band (2009). Photo Credit: Courtesy of Full Moon Features.

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it on 35mm, you had to have an expensive answer print to screen it, and

ultimately you had to have some form of theatrical distribution to exploit

it. Then, you just prayed that your distributor would be at least partially

honest and send you a report with some pennies. You were part of an

expensive food chain and there were few shortcuts. Today, you can shoot

your show on your camcorder in HD, edit and post it on your computer,

spit out DVDs, create your own packaging, and start selling your fi lm on

the Internet. You may not make a dime, but you can do it all yourself!

And if you actually have some talent, then you have a real chance of being

discovered, and off you go! That brings me back to Danny Draven. Danny

can do it all and he is super talented! He can craft a fi lm for very few

dollars and make it look like the budget was 10 times what was actually

spent. It’s not because he is extremely technically profi cient (which he

is)—it’s because the love for his craft shines through and he is truly gifted.

This book is a terrifi c practical guide to fi lmmaking from someone who

doesn’t just write about it, but lives it every day.

CHARLES BAND

Full Moon President

May 19, 2009

Hollywood, California

xii FOREWORD

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“Every writer is a frustrated actor who recites his lines in the hidden audito-

rium of his skull.”

—ROD SERLING

A VERY SPEC IAL THANKS TO M IKE & MARLENE BROWN

Elinor Actipis

Jane Dashevsky

Amanda Guest

Melinda Rankin

Jeanne Hansen

Jojo Draven & Lucas

Pebbles

Mami & Papi Takim

Albert “Koko” & Siane Soegijopranoto

Stefan Soegiarto

Loui & Ika Sugiyanto

Jason Rouch

Sheena & Shawn Rolsen

Helene Hill

Stuart Gordon

Rick & Angie Irvin

Dave & Sandra Lange

Darkmatter Studios

David DeCoteau

Charles Band, Full Moon Features

A C KNOW LE D G E MENTS

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Shirley To

Marina Resa

Tom Savini

Lloyd Kaufman, Troma Entertainment

John D. LeMay

Robert Kurtzman

Chuck Williams

Buddy Barnett

Kathe Duba-Barnett

Steven M. Blasini

BenniQue Blasini

Robert Englund

Nancy Booth

Reggie Bannister

Gigi Fast Elk Bannister

Mbencekno, Inc.

Fangoria Magazine

Michael Gingold

Tony Timpone

Debbie Rochon

James Wan

Patricia Dziekan

Michael King

Mac Ahlberg

John Strysik

Herschell Gordon Lewis

Andrea Beesley-Brown

Ryan Brookhart

J. R. Bookwalter, Tempe Entertainment

Del & Sue Howison

Dark Delicasies, Burbank, California ( www.darkdel.com )

Jon Sagud, RED Digital Cinema

North American Motion Pictures

Brett Lauter, Pan Global Entertainment

Arrifl ex

Sound Indeas, Inc., Elliott Zimmerman

Regent Releasing, Jonathon Aubry

xiv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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Ryan Mantione, Full Moon Features

Draven Lovell

Marc Pilvinsky

Todd Debreceni

Producers Guild of America

Nancy Naglin, Videoscope Magazine

Dean Boor, GoreZone Magazine

Rue Morgue Magazine

Karoline Brandt

Nathan Barr

Jim Dooley

Matthew Sakevitz

Kwok Ching

Gold Wheel Abbot

Lee Mok-sau

Yeung Gor

Chow Bak-tung

Script Sample Creation for Chapter 22

Line 21 Media Services Ltd.

www.line21cc.com

Da Vinci City Hall provided the original script and it was produced by:

Haddock Entertainment Inc.

www.haddockentertainment.com

Software Contributors

Chris Huntley, Write Brothers, Inc.

Paul Clatworthy, PowerProduction Software

Alejandro Seri, Final Draft, Inc.

Michael Trent, Movie Outline Software

David Parrish, Wide Screen Software, LLC

Logan Ryan, Mariner Software, Inc.

Steve Shepard, Storyist Software

David Johnson, Literature and Latte

Interview Transcriptions

Marlene R. Brown

Danny Draven Back Cover Photo

Michael Helms

xvACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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Cover Artwork, Design, and Section Illustrations

Dave Lange

Darkmatter Studios

www.darkmatterstudios.com

FOR MORE INFORMAT ION ON DANNY DRAVEN AND H IS F ILMS GO TO :

www.dannydraven.com

www.myspace.com/dannydraven

xvi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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