How to Write a Horror Movie
Find the core idea -- a villain, setting, or gimmick-- that will make your film unique., Tap into your own fears for inspiration., Watch horror movies and read horror movie scripts., Understand script-writing format., Sketch out your five main plot...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Find the core idea -- a villain
Horror films are largely formulaic when it comes to structure, but the best horror movies have an element that sets it apart from the rest.
This core idea will be the foundation of your entire script, but it is also the hardest thing to come up with.
However, you do not need to reinvent the entire genre
-- one little thing to make your movie enough is often more than enough:
Paranormal Activity is a classic haunted house movie, but it is fully shot by webcams and security footage, giving it a unique look and feel.
You're Next turns a basic serial killer movie on its head by making one of the "victims" a better killer than the supposed villains.
Scream would be a basic slasher film, but the characters' unique knowledge of horror film "rules" was so inventive it spawned four sequels and endless imitators.
Even changing the setting alone can be enough to make a movie unique. 30 Days of Night is a basic vampire movie, but it's set in the North Pole, where night lasts a whole month. -
Step 2: setting
There are many possible reasons why we love being scared, but one of them is the communal connection people have over their deepest fears.
The fear of the dark, fear of death, and fear of losing our loved ones are deep, universal fears that will naturally work into your script.
However, the king of all of these fears, and of all fear, is the fear of the unknown.
What times in your own life have you been confused and terrified? The things that scare you will scare other people, so feel free to tap into your own life and fears for inspiration.What horror movies scare you? What scenes do you still remember? When have you been scared lately? What is it that really scared you, and how can you replicate that fear in others?, Just like any other artist, you need to study from the best to learn from the best.
Take time to watch horror movies regularly, then read the screenplays (found online with a quick search) of your favorite movies.
While you're studying, take notes on the following:
How does the writer create tension on the page without music or actors? Is the screenplay itself scary? How do you format scares and different, tense scenes? At what page or minute does each scare occur? What parts fail, and how would you fix them? What parts succeed, and why?, Luckily, there are hundreds of resources and programs that will automatically format your script into the right format for you.
Still, you need to know how to create a professional looking script if you ever want your movie to be made.
The format is not arbitrary
-- it is made to make shooting and planning the movie easy for everyone, and you'll find it comes naturally after some practice.
Celtx and Writer Duets are free programs with auto-formatting for scripts.
If you want to write professionally, you should consider buying Final Draft Pro, the industry standard scriptwriter., Every horror movie ever made follows a simple but highly customizable format.
Unless you have a really good reason to break it, the following format will help you quickly draft up your movie for the best pacing.
Use this structure to build the skeleton of your movie, then make it unique in the individual scenes:
Beginning:
Open on a scary event.
This is usually the villain's first victim-- the murder or event that sets the movie in motion and shows the villain's "style".
In Scream, for example, it is Drew Barrymore's babysitter character and boyfriend getting murdered.The Set-Up:
Who are your main characters, and why are they in this "horrible" place? The teens might head to the Cabin in the Woods, or the family moves into the creepy old house in Amityville.
Either way, we get to know the future "victims" of your script.
The villain or evil may be present, but is lurking in the background.
This is the first 10-15% of your movie.
The Warning:
Roughly a third of the way into the script, a few characters realize that not everything is as it seems.
Many of them will ignore or miss the signs, but the viewer knows that the evil is growing around them.
The Point of No Return:
The characters realize they are stuck in this horror.
The first character dies, the villain appears, or they get literally trapped, like in The Descent.
There is no more ignoring the danger.
This is usually halfway through the story.
The Major Set-Back:
At 75% or so, the characters believe they have won.
Suddenly, however, the villain comes back even stronger than before.
This false sense of security lulls the characters into near-certain doom.
The Climax:
Your main character(s) makes a final push to survive by escaping or defeating the villain.
The adrenaline is high, and you need a climactic fight/scare/moment to cap everything off.The Resolution:
All is well, and the main character has survived.
The villain appears dead, and everything is good again... at least until the sequel or very ending, when evil often resurfaces (Drag Me to Hell, V/H/S). -
Step 3: or gimmick-- that will make your film unique.
-
Step 4: Tap into your own fears for inspiration.
-
Step 5: Watch horror movies and read horror movie scripts.
-
Step 6: Understand script-writing format.
-
Step 7: Sketch out your five main plot points.
Detailed Guide
Horror films are largely formulaic when it comes to structure, but the best horror movies have an element that sets it apart from the rest.
This core idea will be the foundation of your entire script, but it is also the hardest thing to come up with.
However, you do not need to reinvent the entire genre
-- one little thing to make your movie enough is often more than enough:
Paranormal Activity is a classic haunted house movie, but it is fully shot by webcams and security footage, giving it a unique look and feel.
You're Next turns a basic serial killer movie on its head by making one of the "victims" a better killer than the supposed villains.
Scream would be a basic slasher film, but the characters' unique knowledge of horror film "rules" was so inventive it spawned four sequels and endless imitators.
Even changing the setting alone can be enough to make a movie unique. 30 Days of Night is a basic vampire movie, but it's set in the North Pole, where night lasts a whole month.
There are many possible reasons why we love being scared, but one of them is the communal connection people have over their deepest fears.
The fear of the dark, fear of death, and fear of losing our loved ones are deep, universal fears that will naturally work into your script.
However, the king of all of these fears, and of all fear, is the fear of the unknown.
What times in your own life have you been confused and terrified? The things that scare you will scare other people, so feel free to tap into your own life and fears for inspiration.What horror movies scare you? What scenes do you still remember? When have you been scared lately? What is it that really scared you, and how can you replicate that fear in others?, Just like any other artist, you need to study from the best to learn from the best.
Take time to watch horror movies regularly, then read the screenplays (found online with a quick search) of your favorite movies.
While you're studying, take notes on the following:
How does the writer create tension on the page without music or actors? Is the screenplay itself scary? How do you format scares and different, tense scenes? At what page or minute does each scare occur? What parts fail, and how would you fix them? What parts succeed, and why?, Luckily, there are hundreds of resources and programs that will automatically format your script into the right format for you.
Still, you need to know how to create a professional looking script if you ever want your movie to be made.
The format is not arbitrary
-- it is made to make shooting and planning the movie easy for everyone, and you'll find it comes naturally after some practice.
Celtx and Writer Duets are free programs with auto-formatting for scripts.
If you want to write professionally, you should consider buying Final Draft Pro, the industry standard scriptwriter., Every horror movie ever made follows a simple but highly customizable format.
Unless you have a really good reason to break it, the following format will help you quickly draft up your movie for the best pacing.
Use this structure to build the skeleton of your movie, then make it unique in the individual scenes:
Beginning:
Open on a scary event.
This is usually the villain's first victim-- the murder or event that sets the movie in motion and shows the villain's "style".
In Scream, for example, it is Drew Barrymore's babysitter character and boyfriend getting murdered.The Set-Up:
Who are your main characters, and why are they in this "horrible" place? The teens might head to the Cabin in the Woods, or the family moves into the creepy old house in Amityville.
Either way, we get to know the future "victims" of your script.
The villain or evil may be present, but is lurking in the background.
This is the first 10-15% of your movie.
The Warning:
Roughly a third of the way into the script, a few characters realize that not everything is as it seems.
Many of them will ignore or miss the signs, but the viewer knows that the evil is growing around them.
The Point of No Return:
The characters realize they are stuck in this horror.
The first character dies, the villain appears, or they get literally trapped, like in The Descent.
There is no more ignoring the danger.
This is usually halfway through the story.
The Major Set-Back:
At 75% or so, the characters believe they have won.
Suddenly, however, the villain comes back even stronger than before.
This false sense of security lulls the characters into near-certain doom.
The Climax:
Your main character(s) makes a final push to survive by escaping or defeating the villain.
The adrenaline is high, and you need a climactic fight/scare/moment to cap everything off.The Resolution:
All is well, and the main character has survived.
The villain appears dead, and everything is good again... at least until the sequel or very ending, when evil often resurfaces (Drag Me to Hell, V/H/S).
About the Author
Julie Wells
Experienced content creator specializing in creative arts guides and tutorials.
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