Horror Conventions: What Makes a Scary Movie OnDemand Webinar
ABOUT THE WEBINAR
From the earliest days of cinema filmmakers have explored the emotion of fear. Along the way they've developed Horror Conventions--the "rules of fear"--that have come down to us in the present day. Over the decades, new horror genres have emerged, from the Slasher Film to the "Found Footage" Genre, each one bringing its own new set of Conventions that create an unspoken language of expectation between the filmmaker and the audience.
From the slow-moving monster that always overtakes the rapidly-fleeing victim, to the group of friends that always seem to "split up" to conduct a search with inevitably lethal results, to the camera that never runs out of power in the Found Footage movie, Horror Conventions seem to transcend logic. How do these Horror Movie Conventions develop? What dramatic and emotional purpose do they serve? Most importantly, why do audiences so eagerly accept them?
This webinar, taught by horror pro Neal Marshall Stevens (13 Ghosts, Hellraiser:Deader), will explore the uses of Horror Movie Conventions, from their origins in the early days of the Scary Movie, showing how they've developed historically, how new Horror Conventions have emerged, and how the screenwriter can use Horror Conventions, both to meet the expectations of the audience, but also to turn those expectations upside down.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
- What is a Horror Movie Convention?
- How a screenwriter can master the "Rules of Fear"
- The Origin of Horror Movie Conventions
- How Screenwriters use and misuse Conventions
- How a screenwriter can use Horror Movie Conventions to connect to the audience
- Horror Movie Conventions and sub-genres
- The difference between conventions and clichés
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
- Writers who are want to learn more about the Horror Conventions
- Writers who want to learn more about the fundamentals of Screenwriting
- Writers who want to understand how and why scary movies work
- Writers who want a better chance at getting their Horror screenplays sold
- Writers who need help realizing their ideas in the Horror/Paranormal Genre
- Writers looking to expand their writing tool kit
- Writers looking to master the "Art of the Scare" in fields outside of Horror
- Writers who want to challenge themselves
