One of these films was the Blair Witch Project : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0185937/
Here is a basic synopsis of the film from the Internet Movie Database :
"Three film students travel to Maryland to make a student film about a local urban legend... The Blair Witch. The three went into the woods on a two day hike to find the Blair Witch, and never came back. One year later, the students film and video was found in the woods. The footage was compiled and made into a movie. The Blair Witch Project."
The Blair Witch Project was made with a ridiculously small budget and with minimal advertising. Despite this it turned out to be a huge success and is a great inspiration for ideas and creating an atmosphere when making a horror film.
Halloween was another great horror film I looked to for some ideas and inspiration : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077651/
"The year is 1963, the night; Halloween. Police are called to 43 Lampkin Ln. only to discover that a 17 year Judith Myers had been stabbed to death, by her 6 year-old brother. After being institutionalized for 15 years, Myers breaks out just days before Halloween. No one knows nor would wish to find out what would happen on October 31st 1978, besides Myer's physciatrist Dr. Loomis. He knows Michael is coming back to Haddonfield, but by the time the town realizes it, it'll be to late for many people."
Like with the Blair Witch Project this film has a very tense atmosphere throughout. It also uses sound very effectively with very powerful, tense and frightening music at points in the film.
The Shining is another classic horror film I really enjoyed that involved some techniques I thought where effective : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081505/
"A man, his son and wife become the winter caretakers of an isolated hotel where Danny, the son, sees disturbing visions of the hotel's past using a telepathic gift known as "The Shining". The father, Jack Torrance, is underway in a writing project when he slowly slips into insanity as a result of cabin fever and former guests of the hotel's ghosts. After being convinced by a waiter's ghost to "correct" the family, Jack goes completely insane. The only thing that can save Danny and his mother is "The Shining"."
This film shows a lot of nice film techniques and character development which can be effective in a horror film. It also has a few unique techniques with the sound and lighting and how they are used. One distinct thing I remember from the film and I assume most people do is that loud uncomfortable screeching sound in it that plays quite a lot. The film also has signifiers to heart beat sounds and other things through out. The film is able to portray the fathers slip in to insanity very well and gives a strong feeling of isolation.
Scream is another film that focuses on the horror genre but this time it acts as a parody often mocking a lot of its predecessors and making the film more of a comedy than a horror. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117571/
"One year after the death of Sidney's mother, two students turn up gutted. When a serial killer appears, Sidney begins to suspect whether her mother's death and the two new deaths are related. No one is safe, as the killer begins to pick everyone off one by one. Everyone's a suspect in this case."
With my film I have been looking at making it in to a parody as it can be difficult to make a serious horror when you have a budget of basically £0. This means Scream will be a huge influence in how I approach it as this was one of the first and most successful horror parodies.
Scary Movie just like Scream acts as a parody of most horror films mocking a lot of the things that consistently appear in a horror film and breaking conventions to become a comedy. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0175142/
"A group of teenagers including Cindy Campbell and Bobby Prinze, accidentally hit a man when driving, and dispose of the body, but now they are being stalked by a very recognisable masked killer. The victim count increases, whilst Cindy must survive the carnage that she has seen in so many films before."
This will probably act as another huge influence to my story just like Scream as a parody can often be filmed with a smaller budget effectively and it allows you more freedom as you can challenge conventions regularly and are often encouraged to do so.
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