John CarpenterPRODUCER | DIRECTOR | WRITER

John started as a writer/director in 1962. His work includes such memorable films as Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween 1&2, The Fog, Escape from New York, Escape from LA, The Thing, Christine, Starman, and They Live, just to name a few. He is also known as the “Master of Horror” and the “Prince of Darkness.” John came for a visit to the NYFA Los Angeles campus in January 2011 to share his experience working in the business. Many of Carpenter’s films include what he calls a “cheap scare,” where something comes into view very fast and leaves just as quickly, intensified by musical cues. Carpenter makes open compositions that allow the villain/monster (or sometimes just an object) to pop into frame from the background, the immediate foreground or from either side of the frame. It has since become a horror cliché after using “cheap scares” so effectively in Halloween. He is known for using minimalist cinematography and lighting. He shoots all of his movies in Panavision (2.35:1 ratio with anamorphic lenses).