Horror has been an ideal genre for films with smaller budgets because a lot of scares can be produced with a minimum of expensive effects. The orignial 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' terrified audiences with the simple visual of a man with a murderous power tool. This economical horror film cost only $140,000 to make an grossed $26 million, a significant box office number in 1974. New filmakers and producers flock to the horror genre to make money and gain a successful reputation. The low production costs of making film with handheld cameras for a found footage type of horror movie can make a cheap film budget even cheaper. While there are plenty of horror films that under-perform, this genre often produces the biggest success stories.
