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How to film a horror short in one day
After writing over 20 horror short film screenplays and writing production budgets for almost half a dozen of them, I’ve found that a four to eight page script which takes place in one location and can be filmed in one day is the most cost effective option for a horror filmmaker.
When I started filmmaking over ten years ago, I made a lot of films on a low to no budget. Many of the people working on those films were working to gain experience or because they believed in the project.
In 2022, I made the commitment to create a budget for every film I produce and to make sure everyone on set gets paid.
On average, it takes about one hour to film one page of a screenplay. Anytime you need to move location, you’re adding at least an hour to your day.
It should be possible to film four to eight pages in one day.
There are several elements you should think about to make this happen:
- The Script
- The Location
- Pre-Production
- Covid testing
- The Plan
- Make up / practical effects
- Coverage
- Assistant Director
