Exclusive Interview with Geno McGahee, writer/director of Evil Awakening

I don't know about you, but when I'm watching a big budget Hollywood horror film, I find that they all look and feel the same. Especially if it's a Platinum Dunes film. So, what differentiates them tends to be a character (maybe), a unique story (hopefully), stuff like that... Long and short, it's never about production values and they tend to be formulaic. One of the things that draws me to indie horror is that fact that I could be holding a few films in my hand, knowing nothing about them, and they could be so different from each other in all aspects, yet I'm going to dig all of them. One could be from a veteran that's done 40 films on low-budgets, one could be from a recent film grad who had a bit of funding or one could be from someone who's just getting started... Hell, I like them all. And there's something about the micro-budget directorial debuts that I really like. It's like watching the minor leagues, where people are honing their talent. For example, I recently had the opportunity to watch "Evil Awakening" from Geno McGahee and it was his first film, even though he's now gone on to make another, plus he's in production on a third.

"Evil Awakening" is the type of film that the general public wouldn't understand. However, for an indie-horror fan, it's a kick-ass, micro-budget slasher flick. Obvious budget constraints aside, McGahee puts together a great story with various interweaving plotlines. It's a great debut effort and who knows what he could've done with a bit more budget? We had a chance to discuss the film with him and if you're a micro-budget filmmaker who's setting out to make a film for pocket change, the interview is definitely worth the read.

First off, tell us a bit about yourself. What are your influences and what got you started in indie filmmaking?

My parents bought this 1980’s clunky camcorder and it collected dust for the most part. I was slowly becoming a horror fan and when I was 12 or so, I wanted to make a horror short and got together with my buddy, Mike, and shot a horrible 10 minute skit about aliens, and then we shot one about a monster rising from the ground, which is where Evil Awakening stemmed from. I began filming countless skits and they were all adlibbed…and I still have them all, but they are so bad that I doubt that they will make it beyond my collection.

My influences to go into filmmaking are many but none more than the great Don Dohler and his film “Galaxy Invader.” In Galaxy Invader, I saw a no budget film that had heart and humor and it was really entertaining. Not only that, Dohler went against the grain and got a no budget film out there to the masses. He set the standard and gave me hope that I could follow in his footsteps and get out there and perhaps, get a fan base, even if it would be smaller. It wouldn’t really matter. I appreciate Dohler and I thought that people would appreciate my work one day should I get it out there.

I am a creative person...sort of obsessive when it comes to writing or filming or just about anything. I usually can’t just sit still. I have to be writing or drawing. I currently manage and write for a boxing website called Ringsidereport.com, and have been covering boxing for five years. Boxing and horror are my two loves, outside of my wife (Dani) and my son (Geno, JR., aka: “Munch”). After managing the boxing site, I started Scaredstiffreviews.com and that helped immensely with distribution of my films. I’m a little on the crazy side and my humor can be offensive, but if you see Evil Awakening, you can probably figure that much out.

Film School: Yes or No?

No. I went to college for Marketing, getting my Associate’s from Springfield Technical Community College in Massachusetts in the USA. Had I known then what I know now, I would have gone to film school, I think. I have been improving on the job and I think that the rawness that you see and the technical problems that you might notice in Evil Awakening have been improved in my second film Rise of the Scarecrows and improved greatly in Scary Tales the film that I am nearly done filming.

“Evil Awakening” is your first feature, where did the idea come from and what was your motivation to get this project done?

In 1996, my good friend Jeremy Weiskotten and I were at a Pizza Hut and were deciding just what we were going to do, and I had been filming stupid skits for the longest time, so I proposed filming a skit. Being a big Friday the 13th fan at the time, I thought that we should go in that back from the dead slasher direction. So we got together with several friends and filmed it and it was a blast and it was about as ridiculous…it’s also an extra on the Evil Awakening (2003) DVD. We screened it at my birthday party and everyone was laughing and asked for copies of it. I realized then that we had the skill to entertain. Well, we continued with skits but they got crazier and better and that’s when I began thinking about a full length low budget horror film.

My other buddy, Steven Joseph Adams, came to me in 2002 and said that he wanted to film something because Evil Awakening (1996) was so much fun, so I came up with the idea for Evil Awakening 2…a mere skit, but this one was not going to be adlibbed like the first one. As I wrote it, I elected to not call it a sequel and not make it a skit either. This was the moment and this was the movie that was going to be our introduction to the horror world. I wrote it in about six weeks and we filmed it in 3 months. My motivation for finishing it was basically who I am, I guess. I can’t see starting something and not finishing it and one way or another, it was going to be done. It would bug the hell out of me if I had footage of a movie that was 60% done or whatever and it was never completed.

What was the approximate budget for the film and how did you secure it?

The budget for Evil Awakening was, maybe, 500 bucks. It was basically a no budget horror film that was done with very little money and a lot of ambition. I paid for the fake blood and pizza for the crew and such, but realistically, there wasn’t a lot of money behind it.

What did you shoot on and how long was the shoot?

We used a Sony Digital Video Camera…nothing special for the first time around. Rise of the Scarecrows was the same and Scary Tales is shot on a digital video camera, but a better camera and shot better. Evil Awakening was shot in 3 months, Rise of the Scarecrows took 2 ½ years for various reasons, and now Scary Tales is nearly done and when the dust settles, it will have been 3 months of weekend shooting. I’m organized now and that has made a big difference.

I thought you did a great job of creating little storylines and weaving them all together around the main story of the Cock Monster. (I’ll assume I’m spelling that right?) Talk about keeping continuity. I’m assuming that on a low-budget and shooting out of sequence, with all the stories and characters involved, continuity can be problematic. How’d you handle that?

Thank you! The actual spelling is “The Coch Woods Monster” but it’s pronounced “Cock Woods Monster” so you are basically correct. Continuity and low budget are not friends of each other and it’s very hard to shoot when people are not getting paid and when they change their looks. Hair grows quickly, people gain and lose weight, and people lose clothing that they need for the next film. I think that I’m more in tune now and continuity is now a lot better. Evil Awakening did pretty well because it was shot quickly and most people understood that they needed to keep their look. Rise of the Scarecrows was tougher because it almost didn’t come and took over two years to complete and there are some continuity problems there but they aren’t that obvious unless you really look for them and you see continuity problems in big productions like Rocky IV when Apollo Creed is wearing boxing gloves and then pointing at Ivan Drago without a glove in the same scene. It is very tough and tough for me because I’m not as organized as I want to be, but we’ve done pretty well and I think that we’re on the right track.

What were some of your biggest hurdles in getting the film finished?

I guess just dealing with nonpaid actors that didn’t take it as seriously as I did and would often miss shooting days. Other than that, the rest is easy…time consuming but easy. Weather in New England is also difficult and can throw a wrench in the works.

Did you enter it into any festivals? If so, how did it do and what did you get out of the experience? If not, why?

I did enter both Evil Awakening and Rise of the Scarecrows into film festivals and neither one was ever allowed to compete. I don’t get it and I’m not convinced that they even watched them. I’ll be doing the same thing with Scary Tales with no expectations. I see the movies that win these film festivals and I know that my films belonged there in the running. It’s so frustrating, but it’s part of the business. They expect a certain look and sometimes want that artsy stuff instead of what I provide. So, I’m hoping that they will look at Scary Tales and give it a shot and if not, so be it. There are more than one way to skin a cat.

Talk about distribution. What was the process like for you and how’s that going?

Distribution was the toughest thing in the world. I had sent Evil Awakening everywhere and the few replies I got were either negative ones or they loved it and wanted to run with it, BUT they wanted the rights to the film, the money, and no guarantees on anything! How’s that for a deal. In other words, Evil Awakening 2 could come out without me and I would get nothing for the sales of Evil Awakening. F that. I thought that the best way, perhaps, to get a distributor was to start a horror site and interview them so that they know me when they see my submission and my chances would increase greatly. JR Bookwalter, a great filmmaker and now a distributor, gave me my shot and picked up both Evil Awakening and Rise of the Scarecrows.

I have a tentative deal for Scary Tales, which will probably be released next summer, and Rise of the Scarecrows is supposed to be released in January/February 2009. I have found that most distributors are ruthless and use filmmakers to line their own pockets while not throwing a crumb to the people that have done all of the work. I sat on Evil Awakening for five years before I found the right guy (Bookwalter) to see my work and give me a shot and a very fair deal as well.

After it’s all said and done, what would you have done differently?

I would not have put a deadline on the movie to complete. There were scenes that were cut out so we could finish and make a film festival that they didn’t allow us to compete in. I will never do that again. I would have shot it differently…fix some technical things, but all in all, for what it is, I like Evil Awakening. It’s got some problems, sure, but if you can look beyond the technical flaws, you will find the fun in it.

I would have developed more characters, rather than focus primarily on Sam Adams (Steven Joseph Adams), although I love that obnoxious and crazy guy!

Where can people find out more about “Evil Awakening” and your other projects and, better yet, buy a copy?

Anyone can go to scaredstiffreviews.com or xposse.com for details and can go to Amazon.com to purchase Evil Awakening. They can find my myspace page and become a friend with the Coch Woods Monster. Or anyone that wants to contact me directly can email me at genobambino69@gmail.com. Good or bad, I love to hear from the horror fans and any fans that I may have out there.

What’s next for Geno McGahee and X Posse Productions?

The continued promotion of Evil Awakening and the future promotion of Rise of the Scarecrows and Scary Tales are on the agenda as well as the planning for the fourth movie which will be filmed next summer. I am hoping that we can make a dent in this horror world and that the people give me a chance. You won’t regret it.

Lastly, talk about the indie horror scene. What do you think about where it’s at now and where do you see it going?

The indie film scene is pretty good, although it does get saturated with bad movies because the digital video camera and editing programs have leveled the playing field and has allowed many to make a movie when they probably shouldn’t. The Campbell Brothers are great and when they come back to horror, they could easily make their mark on a huge level, my friend Jim Haggerty is a great filmmaker and has a lot of ambition and knows how to network very well, and another friend of mine, Polly Frost, is not only an exceptional writer but she also excels at filmmaking. She has a great web series called “The Fold” that I really think is fantastic.

The fact of the matter is Indie Horror is where the heart is and where the originality is coming from. There is vision and love there and when you rent or buy a film made on a shoestring budget, you are getting something special. I think that Indie Horror now has an advantage over it in the past because of technology and we are now getting more and more indie films and I LOVE watching them because when you don’t have money, you need a good story and ingenuity. I see Indie horror going into the mainstream more than ever because it has to. How many Asian transfers, remakes, bad sequels, and PG-13 fluff horror movies will the public stand for before they begin looking elsewhere?

I do want to thank you for the time Ted, and I thank everyone that have purchased Evil Awakening and have written me to give me their thoughts. I sincerely appreciate the support and keep an eye out for Rise of the Scarecrows and Scary Tales.

Exclusive Interview with Neil Kellen

I guess it's the march towards Halloween and there's just tons of horror coming out each week... I started to go through them all, trying to get a 'new horror releases of the week' post done for this morning, but it's just not going to happen. So, once again, that left me with nothing ready to go for this morning. However, I actually do have something cool to post.

Some of the best parts of doing the site is meeting new filmmakers, discussing the whole indie scene and finding out what's going on out there. Further to that, we love helping people out. In fact, I hope to have some news soon, as Dead Harvey will be branching out soon and doing some new things in that regard, but that's not for this post. This post is about up and coming filmmaker, Neil Kellen.

I was chatting with Neil back and forth, as he's in pre-production on his project, "Abaddon". I thought it could be pretty cool to talk to him about that process, as we usually talk to filmmakers after they've completed their project, not when they haven't even shot a frame yet. Anyhow, it's a great read and if you're a filmmaker that's about to head into the same stages that Neil's heading into, this is a must read for you...

Tell us a bit about yourself. What are your influences, where did you get started and what brought you into the world of indie filmmaking?

I'm a 42 year old filmmaker who lives in the last place on Earth you would think a filmmaker should ever live, Henderson, Kentucky. I have spent the majority of my adult life with some kind of motion picture camera in my hands, or on my shoulder, so it was a natural progression for me to move from documentary style shooting to narrative moviemaking.

Although being a kid seeing the original 1977 STAR WARS in theaters didn't hurt my desire to make films either.

Film School: Yes or No?

I think film school serves as a valuable networking opportunity and can be a benefit for those that have no real idea of the technical side of movie making, but have a strong desire to learn just the same. With that being said, my studies were in television and video production and not “film.”

Tell us about any previous films or projects that you’ve completed.

I am a news photographer by day, so I shoot and edit a minute thirty short story that is seen by around 200,000 people daily. Last Fall, I challenged myself to create a short horror film with a minimal budget and to be shot within a non-consecutive, 24 hour time frame.

FOREVER, a story inspired by “The Monkey's Paw”, was created in 18 total hours with a final running time of just under 10 minutes and a final cost of $28.00 USD

You’re in pre-production right now, tell us a bit the decision to go out and make an indie film. What was the catalyst?

I love movies. I love the process of making movies. From the initial idea to the final edit, I'm addicted. I get a high from the work, As exhausting as it is to some , It's adrenaline to me. I can stay up for days working on a concept.

The project is called “Abaddon”, where did you get the idea from and is this something that you were always intending to go out and make yourself?

I have never understood how someone could come up with an idea only to pass it off to someone else After completing FOREVER, I made notes about mistakes made during that filming and immediately started brainstorming the next idea. I upgraded my video equipment and started tapping out various scenes in CELTX. I brought in a writing partner and knew, at that point, that ABADDON was a GO for me.

I'm a a huge fan of superhero graphic novels and films, and a horror buff. I'm also a very spiritual person. ABADDON is a combination of all these elements.

The classic struggle of Good versus Evil has never been better personified then by the modern imagery of Angels and Demons . I wanted to tap into these legends and build a new story with elements that are already familiar to a 21st Century audience. Leaning much on the Neo-Gothic look that I think is currently the sexiest fashion around, I plan on turning the indie horror genre on its ear by introducing superhero elements to it.

If you're a comic fan, or a fan of action horror, you'll love this movie.

We’ve found that the biggest hurdle for indie filmmakers is financing. What’s your approx. budget and how do you plan on securing it?

The working budget for the version of the script we are tweaking now is just under $162,000.USD

The truth is, there are few individuals that are willing to invest in a risk as high as that of an independent film. Most movies that are made outside of Hollywood don't make a cent. We all know that. Self financing a film yourself could lead to bankruptcy. So what do you do?

I've done a lot of research on this subject and found there are still ways to secure financing for your project. Tapping into overseas markets and approaching genre cable networks to co-produce are some to consider.

I've given ABADDON a year to reach it's budget goals, but regardless if it meets the dollar amount I'm looking to raise, I WILL create this story.

What are you going to shoot on and why?

ABADDON will be shot on HD.

The cost saving is just too large for the independent filmmaker to ignore anymore. So many of us already own our own cameras, editing software, and lighting kits that a large chunk of our budgets can be covered by using our own equipment.

There will always be film elitist in the world decrying the use of any electronic medium as a storytelling tool, but I'm a believer that if the story is good, no matter what medium used, people will want to watch that story you are telling them..

Talk about some of the hurdles that you’ve encountered up until this point.

When you work on a project, time is always an issue. I'm a photojournalist by day and a father of six and a husband by night, so budgeting time and keeping ideas flowing can sometimes be an exhausting experience.

Money is the next most frustrating hurdle. I'm self financing ABADDON throughout the preproduction process. Preproduction is not just polishing screenplays, scouting locations, and sketching out some storyboards. It also means paying for temporary costumes for the promotional photography, buying products so the makeup guy, Joe Stanley, can start developing the demon transformation effects, and working to keep various websites up and running to build a preliminary buzz about the film.

At this point, are you thinking about film festivals, distribution or anything like that? Or are you just simply trying to get the film done?

At this point, getting the film finished is all I'm focused on. I do intend on entering ABADDON into the festval circuit, but it is too early to tell which venues I will pursue. I think every filmmaker dreams of seeing his film on a large screen, but historically, films similar to ABADDION find themselves limited to DVD release. To be honest. I would be pleased with that.

Where can people find out more about yourself and/or the project?

The first of three planned websites is digitalspectrumfilms.com

I will be updating the site often with news on ABADDON and offer up space as forum for other filmmakers projects. I love seeing what the independent horror community offers to it's fans and want to give them yet another venue for their work.

Just because you mentioned it in your email to me, I’m going to bring it up. You’re childhood friends with Gregg Hale, producer of “The Blair Witch Project”, “Altered” and “Seventh Moon”. Tell us about that relationship and if he’s planning on getting involved in this project or is going to help you in one form or another.

Gregg and I grew up with super 8 cameras and big dreams. I think between the two of us, we churned out 50 or so short film scripts from imaginative ideas like “Battle of the Bottles” where two opposing brands of cola fight out a WWII style, marketing battle to our epic “EARTH: Nuclear Holocaust” telling of a group of children from a Moon base who come back to Earth to explore the planet after a nuclear war.

We were only eleven years old then. Those were BIG stories.

Gregg is now in New York and busy with a new job and an even newer baby, but we do stay in contact. He is aware of the ABADDON project, but we haven't discussed the movie beyond the initial idea.

Gregg is a businessman. He has been very supportive of the indie film scene and is willing to invest in projects that he believes might be successful. ABADDON is not at a point in the filmmaking process where I would ask him for a commitment of any kind, but I'm sure he will be open to listening to any pitch I would like to make when the time is right..

He's cool like that.

Lastly, talk about the indie horror scene. What do you think about where it’s at now and where do you see it going?

Hollywood has proven time and time again it does not know how to make a good horror film and they are, finally, starting to give up. The opportunity for you to make a huge splash in the horror genre market has never been better. The fan base is hungry for something new, different, and really really scary.

If you have an idea, or the talent to think of one, grab a camera and some friends who can act and start shooting. Post it on Myspace or Youtube. Don't let the lack of professional tools slow you down.

I'm waiting to watch too.