Writing the Horror Movie

Marc Blake has written for the Independent on Sunday, the Evening Standard, The Mail, Express and the Scriptwriter as well being a freelance writer on Eagle Moss’ ‘The Horror Collection’. He now teaches horror film at Southampton Solent University, UK, on their graduate programme. He is the author of three novels, Sunstroke, Big Time, and 24 Karat Schmooze.Sara Bailey is Course Leader for Screenwriting at Southampton Solent University, UK. She has worked as a screenwriter and is an experienced researcher and lecturer.

The truth is that the screenplay is a bastard form of literature. It is not a play nor book nor movie, and not just simply a blueprint for a film. All movies, regardless of genre, depend on the screenplay. However it is the director who makes the movie by realizing the printed words of the script on film. I have seen mediocre screenplays made into very good films. And I have seen excellent screenplays made into bad movies by incompetent directors. Again, it's important for people to understand that the screenplays essential role in film making is the same regardless of the genre of the film. --John Landis, 2012

• Introduction: Welcome to the Nightmare 1. Why do we like to be scared? On the Abject and the Unknown 2. Horror history and literary/film background3. Subgenres. The Undead. Monsters. Demons and possession. Serial Killers, Slashers, Werewolves, Bad science and Body Horror4. Staging horror. Five tropes. Unease, dread, terror, horror & disgust5. On creating the Nemesis: Norman, Hannibal, Freddie and Jigsaw6. Forming the idea. Writing exercises. Fears and phobias. Notes on the screenplay. Short, visual and credible7. The First Act: Unease and dread. Character and milieu8. The Second Act: Modulating fear, terror and horror9. Third Act. Resolutions. Tragic and redemptive endings10. Writing the horror sequel/franchise11. Adaptations. From page to screen. Short stories and novels12. On Cross-genre. Where can you bleed into other genres? Zom-Com, Thriller/Horror, Vampire romance, Horror and comedy13. World markets. Horror in the US, the UK and European Horror. Asian, Thai and Hong Kong horror14. Lo-budget Horror. How Blair Witch, Colin and Paranormal Activity became box office gold15. Case studies. Selling the scare. Interviews with Writer/directors Chris Smith (Creep, Severance), James Watkins (Eden Lake). Neil Marshall (Dog Soldiers, Descent, Doom), Adam Gierasch (Autopsy, Night of the Demons) Mark Ezra and more.... 16. Producer Interviews. What producers are looking for? 17. Marketing. Frightest and Sitges. Interviews with directors of the world's leading Horror festivals and conventions 18. Fifty Essential Horror movies. Synopses and analysis of each subgenre.