A2 Media Studies

1. Horror Film Directors and
Production Companies

2. James Wan (1977 -_)
• Wan is a director, screenwriter and producer
and is known for being involved in horror films
that have been popular in the 21st century. His
is best known for directing the original Saw
(2004) and later was executive producer for
the remaining 6 ‘Saw’ films in the franchise.
James Wan’s horror films are typically
supernatural horror, as shown with ‘The
Conjuring’ and ‘Insidious’
• As well as the Saw films, Wan directed:
• Dead Silence (2007)
• Insidious (2010)
• Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)
• The Conjuring (2013)
• The Conjuring 2 (2016)

3. Wes Craven (1939-2015)
• Craven is known for his work in horror films,
particularly the slasher genre. Craven’s films
were also famous for ‘genre bending’ in which
he would include features from two or more
different film styles. His most famous films are
the ‘Scream’ franchise and ‘A Nightmare on Elm
Street’.
• Other horror film Craven directed includes:
• The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
• The Hills Have Eyes Part II (1984)
• The People Under the Stairs (1991)
• The Last House on the Left (1972)
• Vampire in Brooklyn (1995)
•

4. John Carpenter (1948-)
• John Carpenter has directed films from
many genres, but is most regarded for his
horror films in the 1970’s and 1980’s.
Although his films were released around
30-40 years ago, they remain popular
films to watch, particularly at Halloween.
His most famous work is the first film in
the ‘Halloween’ franchise, which he also
wrote the screenplay for.
• His other work includes:
• Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
• The Thing (1982)
• The Fog (1979)

5. Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980)
• Often referred to as the ‘Master of
Suspense’, Hitchcock had a directing
career spanning 60 years with 70
directing credits, and is widely
considered one of the most influential
directors in history. He is most well-
known for his psychological thriller style
of horror films. Hitchcock’s most famous
film is Psycho (1960), which is considered
as one of the best films of all time.
• Other Hitchcock films include:
• The Birds (1963)
• Strangers on a Train (1951)
• Dial M for Murder (1954)

6. Benderspink
• The production company was established by producers
Chris Bender and J.C. Spink in 1998. The company has
been involved in the beginning of horror franchises,
including ‘Final Destination’ and ‘The Ring’. The
company was disbanded in 2016 after nearly 20 years of
production, and J.C. Spink died a year later of an
overdose.
• Other Benderspink films include:
• The Ring (2002)
• Insanitarium (2008)
• Kill Theory (2009)
• Insanitarium (2004)

7. Blumhouse Productions
• Blumhouse is an American production company, founded
by Jason Blum. The company is most famous for horror
films, particularly low budget horror like ‘Paranormal
Activity’. Blumhouse is currently is a subsidiary company of
Universal Pictures.
• The most famous Blumhouse Productions include:
• Paranormal Activity (2007)
• Insidious (2010)
• Sinister (2012)
• The Purge (2013)
• Ouija (2014)
• Split (2016)
• Happy Death Day (2017)

8. Twisted Pictures
• Twisted Pictures was created in 2004 by Mark Burg, Oren
Koules and Gregg Hoffman. The company are known for
producing the Saw franchise. There filmography is as
follows:
• Saw (2004)
• Saw II (2005)
• Saw III (2006)
• Saw IV (2007)
• Saw V (2008)
• Saw VI (2009)
• Saw 3D (2010)
• Jigsaw (2017)