Sutton Filmmakers Spooktacular – Part 1
November 4 @ 7:45 pm – 10:15 pm
Session led by Owain Dain
History of Horror is here!
Welcome, boils and ghouls!
Prepare to take a deep dive into the history of horror and discover why we at SFM just can’t get enough of being scared.
We’ll explore how horror has evolved over the years, discuss how the “rules” of who lives and dies have changed, and figure out the best way to tell who’s next to go.
“There’s a formula to it, a very simple formula!!”
In this spooktacular, expect clips, conversation, and maybe a few jump scares of our own.
We’ll also talk about why horror is such a genius genre from a filmmaking perspective — low budgets, minimal sets, no big-name actors (though plenty of famous ones started in horror), and still massive returns.
We’ll cite the Blumhouse financial model and look at just how effective it’s been.
It’s creative freedom with a killer payoff. We’ll explore sound design (where less is definitely more), the history of the jump scare, and how music and camera positioning can turn an ordinary scene into pure nightmare fuel — or even casual comedy.
Basically, what makes horror work — and why it keeps haunting us.
To top it all off, we’ll be screening and evaluating two club horror films — Night Fears and Lake on the Cabin — discussing what works, what doesn’t, and what we can learn for our own projects.
By the end, we’ll all have a better sense of how to create a solid, spooky short ourselves, using everything we’ve learned.
Filmmakers beware — you’re in for a scare!
Guests welcome. First two sessions free for visitors.