The Filmmaker's Book of the Dead: How to Make Your Own Heart-Racing Horror Movie

Produce, direct and promote your own chilling horror film with real-world advice from award-winning, independent producer/director Danny Draven! From the history of horror and the technique of the scare to pre-production and distribution, this complete, full-color guide to horror filmmaking uncovers all the insider secrets for creating your own successful movie. Sharing his personal filmmaking experience, Draven reveals how to create a spine-tingling horror film from start to finish. You'll not only discover how to craft the story, but also how to master using production techniques, music, lighting and editing to thrill audiences. Straight-from-the-set tips will help you avoid common filmmaking pitfalls, and extensive information on marketing and distribution will show you how to get your film out to the public. Plus, learn from groundbreaking horror legends including: *Lloyd Kaufman, Toxic Avenger *Robert Kurtzman, From Dusk till Dawn *James Wan, Saw *Robert Englund, Freddy Krueger from the Nightmare of Elm Street films *Stuart Gordon, Re-Animator *Tom Savini, Night of the Living Dead *"Godfather of Gore" Herschell Gordon Lewis *Charles Band, Trancers *David DeCoteau, Puppet Master 3 *John D. LeMay, Friday the 13th: The Series *Debbie Rochon, Tromeo & Juliet *Reggie Bannister, Phantasm *and many more. Find even more hands-on horror advice and over an hour of video extras on the companion web site! Featuring: *Behind-the-scenes footage from Ghost Month, Cryptz, Darkwalker and Deathbed *A collection of independent horror film trailers *Sample scripts, schedules and agreements *Classic behind-the-scenes footage from Puppetmaster, Blood Dolls, Dead Hate the Living and more courtesy of Full Moon Features *Listing of horror film festivals and distributors Whether you're a first-time filmmaker or an old pro, Danny Draven's book will likely show you scenarios to rattle your indie filmmaking bones or cause you to chuckle. No matter what your background, if you're a lover of the horror genre, or a maker of independent films, you should pick up this book. - Film Monthly

Table of Contents:
FOREWORD by CHARLES BAND SECTION ONE - The Horror Genre CHAPTER 001: The Mechanics of Monsters & Story PART TWO - Pre-Production CHAPTER 002: Getting Started CHAPTER 003: Casting a Horror Film CHAPTER 004: The Horror Film Crew CHAPTER 005: Pre-Production Tips & Tricks PART THREE - Production CHAPTER 006: Producing a Horror Film CHAPTER 007: Directing a Horror Film CHAPTER 008: Cinematography of a Horror Film CHAPTER 009: War Stories & Advice From the Trenches PART FOUR - Post-Production CHAPTER 010: Editing Horror Films CHAPTER 011: The Sound of Horror Films CHAPTER 012: The Music of Horror Films CHAPTER 013: CGI CHAPTER 014: The Pitfalls of Post PART SIX - Distribution and Marketing CHAPTER 015: Distribution for Horror Films CHAPTER 016: General Delivery Requirements CHAPTER 017: Horror Film Festivals CHAPTER 018: Marketing and Selling Yourself CHAPTER 019: The Future of Horror BOOK WEBSITE COMPANION CONTENTS Focal Press Presents HORROR FILMMAKING DOCUMENTARY (30 minutes) With Danny Draven A 20 Minute behind-the scenes featurette from Danny Draven's film GHOST MONTH A 10-minute behind-the-scenes featurette from Danny Draven's film CRYPTZ A 10-minute behind-the-scenes featurette from Danny Draven's film DEATHBED A 10-minute behind-the-scenes featurette from Danny Draven's film DARKWALKER The Danny Draven Trailer Reel - Trailers for all 6 feature films Selected Horror Movie trailers Horror Script Samples (PDF files) - Ghost Month and Cryptz

About the Author :
Danny Draven is an award-winning independent producer/director/writer who has directed over six horror features. From slasher movies to supernatural thrillers, his films have gained a cult following worldwide. His movies include Horrorvision, Hell Asylum, Cryptz, Stuart Gordon Presents: Deathbed, Darkwalker, and Ghost Month. His first film, Horrorvision, appeared on the Sci-Fi channel's William Shatner's Full Moon Fright Night. Draven also won the Best Director award at the Chicago Horror Film Festival for his film Ghost Month. Draven is currently a member of the the Producers Guild of America, Horror Writers Association, and Motion Picture Editors Guild.

Review :
"In addition to all of this, the margins of the book are peppered with creative tips and production warnings as a bonus 'To Do or Do Not' list. Draven supplies information ranging from camera selection to the use of CGI in smaller productions. Many previous instructional film books provide a lot of information in a dry manner that read like textbooks but Draven wisely embraces technology and offers a companion website to the book that allows specific examples of production forms andcontracts. The site also presents candid interviews and behind the scenes footage and trailers for several titles in Draven's filmography. An access code (provided within the book) is required to view the exclusive content and is well worth checking out. The Filmmaker's Book of the Dead is filled with tons of valuable information that will not only apply to horror fans, but to filmmakers across all genres working on a smaller budget.--HorrorTalk.com "Danny Draven's book, The Filmmaker's Book of the Dead How to Make Your Own Heart-Racing Horror Movie is a terrific new 'How To' for aspiring indie horror filmmakers. In fact, there's a ton of great information packed inside making it a great go-to reference for anyone involved with indie production, not just horror. If you want to learn how to make a horror movie without enrolling in film school, this book is where your journey should start!"--Todd Debreceni, Makeup Effects Artist/Designer, Author of Special Makeup Effects for Stage and Screen Making and Applying Prosthetics (Focal Press, 2008) "...the reader will find interviews with filmmakers Charles Band, Stuart Gordon, Lloyd Kaufman, David DeCoteau and J.R. Bookwalter...followers of cult cinema will be thrilled to hear these masters of low-budget features discuss the hazards of the industry. The Filmmaker's Book of the Dead is filled with tons of valuable information that will not only apply to horror fans, but to filmmakers across all genres working on a smaller budget."--ZigZag, horrortalk.com "Set tips and applications from an award-winning director, enhancing his perceptions with interviews with horror legends from Stuart Gordon (of Re-Animator) to Tom Savini (Night of the Living Dead). The result is a fine history of horror and pre-production techniques key to putting on a superior production."-- CA Bookwatch "The book covers every step of the filmmaking process (pre-production, production, post-production, and marketing) and is full of the author's experience and advice. There are also several insightful interviews throughout the book where horror icons such as Stuart Gordon, Robert Englund, and Tom Savini, dispense advice to aspiring filmmakers. The book is beautifully laid out and is full of great images. There is also a companion website to the book where you can download examples of forms used in filmmaking and watch multimedia examples of topics discussed in the book. The Filmmaker's Book of the Dead is an amazing resource for all aspiring filmmakers in any genre."--FamousMonstersofFilmland.com "In 2010, Draven published his first book entitled The Filmmaker's Book of the Dead: How to Make Your Own Heart-Racing Horror Movie. Contained within is a wealth of information about making your own independent movie, including all of the tips, tricks, and money-saving shortcuts that Draven uses on his own films. In addition to his own wisdom, the book contains interviews with some of the most respected figures in independent horror including James Wan, Tom Savini, Lloyd Kaufman, and a foreword by Full Moon's own Charles Band."--FullMoonHorror.com