Archive for June, 2011

Making a Horror Movie with Real SFX

Making a Horror Movie with Real SFX

I’m learning that making a horror movie with real SFX takes talent, patience, skill and one hell of visual effects artist to deliver gore. Visual artist Paul While of UK based Graphic Delusions can be described as passionate and detail orientated. The horror movie crime scene photos are only one part of the overall gruesome gore that has to be created to be captured on camera.

Visual Artist Paul While

CGI is good, but for this movie we’re relying on about 1% of CGI to be used in post-production. This is being filmed on camera as a gorefest for movie viewers that miss that part of 80s and 90s made horror movies.

I’ve never been involved with making a horror movie before. This has been a really cool experience working as one of writers and producers of Psoro (Latin for itch). “Don’t scratch it…it will tear you apart!” is the story of an unfortunate heroin addict that has a porn fetish. He ends up injecting a bad fix of heroin that leads to incessant scratching and much worse. The story is mentally and visually graphic. The creative team is going to push it to the limit for hardcore horror fans.

Director Wayne Daniells gives me updates on what he and Paul are doing to create real SFX. I’m learning really how much time, MONEY and energy goes into creating prosthetics that will be used in gore scenes that have plenty of blood for horror movie fans. A good part of the budget is going right into making kickass SFX.

Psoro Bloody

The process is fascinating to me as an indie filmmaker. This attention to detail is something I thought only studio budget films did. Psoro is an indie produced horror movie that is going back to the way 80s and 90s SFX were done by those eras masters of horror. Other visual artists know what is showing in this picture of the gear ordered to create all the SFX for Psoro.

Making a Horror Movie Gear

Molds and casts are being created to the exact dimensions of Psoro lead actor Lucas Hansen, as will other specially modeled SFX for supporting actors. With CGI so readily available I’m digging that Wayne and Paul are going a different direction that is hands on. The locations being used are going to be trashed with blood and gore to recreate authentic looking crime scene photos.

Paul While’s father is a retired police officer that has seen many gruesome crime scenes on the job. He has been kind enough to act as a creative consultant on how the Psoro crime scenes should look. With his input Paul lets his creative mind go to work on recreating images that will entertain movie viewers that want bloody gore via Graphic Delusions.

I’m going to learn what goes into creating molds and prosthetics for a horror movie. Each step I’m exposed to I take down notes on how they are making it happen. I don’t know all the terms visual artists use or the names of what they use to make real SFX. What I do know is lots of raw SFX gear is in London being prepared to create some gruesome gore for Psoro.

Psoro Bloody Sink

The once scene of the movie not being shot in the UK is going to be filmed by me in So Cal. Psoro is currently casting for the next scream queen movie viewers will remember. Making a horror movie continues to be one hell of ride for my first time involved with one. This is indie filmmaker Sid Kali typing FADE TO BLACK