FILM-403: Dark Visions: Art of Horror

Dark Visions: The Art of the Horror Film is a special course offering designed to provide practical insight into developing and making a low budget horror film. Led by Stephen Berkman and special guest teacher Zack Snyder, this immersive class / film workshop will span two terms. The horror film - one of cinema's most enduring genres has traditionally created opportunities for young filmmakers to develop their craft and to gain a foothold in the film industry. Many great American filmmakers launched their careers working within the horror genre, including Zack Snyder, who started his feature filmmaking career in 2004 with the success of the now classic horror film Dawn of the Dead. Even today, low budget horror films are still making breakthroughs and opening doors for young filmmakers to showcase their talents. In the fall term, students will develop a concept for a low budget horror film and pitch their projects in class. The emphasis is on crafting a strong hook and a unique approach for a compelling narrative. After refining their concept, students will first create a written treatment and pitch deck for their film which will then develop into a complete screenplay. In the spring term, students will film a trailer and shoot one complete scene from their film to demonstrate proof of concept. Course work will be supplemented with a deep dive into the horror genre, including screenings of horror films from the very beginning of cinema to today to provide a historical overview. Prerequisite: Production Level 3 and 4 only. Required for first class to submit an original up to 5 sentence pitch for a horror film.