Interview with Brett Pierce, writter/director of "Dead Heads"

I have some thoughts as to where the indie horror scene is heading... I mean, I always have thoughts, but recently something is becoming evidently clear.

Over the last five to ten years, the cost of producing an indie film has plummeted. You can now make a good looking film for $5K - $10K. Seriously. I'm not suggesting it as a budget, but I'm saying it can be done. I know a few people who've shot on cameras like the Canon Mark V, in 24 fp and the footage looks astounding. You don't know what the Canon Mark V is? It's an affordable consumer DSLR. Editing programs are a dime a dozen and CG effects are easily learned. There are, however, some hurdles. Good actors are hard to come by, you'll need a good DP, a good sound guy, etc. Having said that, none of that stuff needs to cost you serious money. The monetary boundaries are all but gone. The boundaries that exist now involve skill.

Are you a skilled filmmaker, a skilled writer, a skilled director? Did you get skilled actors and a skilled crew? Truth of the matter is, in the indie world, the men are being seperated from the boys. There are top-notch films coming out of the indie world and they are going to tank the amateur hour stuff. Good thing? You bet. It's time that the indie world starts pumping out quality films because, soon enough, the rest of the industry is going to take notice. Brett Pierce's "Dead Heads" is a great example of a quality film that's coming out of the indie world. Watch the trailer and check out the production quality, the acting, the effects and the originality of the story. I don't know what the budget actually is, but they did it on their own. Everything about the film looks awesome and I can't wait to check it out. We had the chance to discuss "Dead Heads" with Brett and he offers up a great interview...

So, tell us about “DeadHeads”, what’s it all about?

DEADHEADS is about two zombie pals, Mike and Brent, who embark on a cross country road trip in search of Mike's long lost girlfriend. As they adventure their way across the midwest they are pursued by a group of zombie killin' bounty hunters. It's a zombie/buddy/adventure/horror/comedy with a little romance for good measure.

Okay, first off… self aware, rationalizing zombies? Is that a first?

It's not. Some other films have done some great stuff with self aware zombies. What I think is original about DEADHEADS is that it's an adventure movie as much as it's a zombie movie. My brother and I really wanted to make Mike and Brent hilarious but endearing characters. We wanted to John Hughes-up our zombies. I've seen some great self aware zombie films but I feel these are the first zombies I'd want to hang out with.

The film looks to be remarkably unique – I can honestly say that I’ve never heard of, let alone seen, a zombie-buddy road trip film. Where did the idea come from and talk about developing the idea into a film

Drew and I were living in LA working as interns and PA's and barely scraping by. We had a few scripts we we're blindly shopping around but we were nobody's, nobody cared. We realized that even if we were lucky enough to sell one of these we'd never get to direct it. So we started writing DEADHEADS which was something we could produce independently. Drew and I had grown up on the set of EVIL DEAD. Our father was the photographic FX artist for the original one. What we took from watching Dad, Sam and the guys is that horror and comedy works and that we don't need a big name attached to get people to watch. Everybody likes to laugh and everybody likes something a little creepy or scary. We had made a "no money" feature just out of high school that we co-directed with 3 other friends. It had a few talking zombies in it and that was our favorite part of that film. So we scribbled down "talking zombies" and that's how it really got started. All the other elements of the story we're inspired by our love of 80's adventure flicks like THE GOONIES, BACK TO THE FUTURE and STAND BY ME. We knew we had one shot at this and we just kept writing and rewriting out of fear of failure. Everyday we'd write, argue, and just grill each other about every scene. "Is this funny? Is this exciting? Are the characters working?"

If you don’t mind us asking, what was the budget for the film and how did you secure financing?

Umm....Less than Avatar? We just asked anybody and everybody. It was a 2 year process. We put together investor info packs and a pitch and took hundreds of meetings and pieced it together.

Where are you at with the film now and what’s next for the film?

We actually just finished post production. It's done, wrapped. We actually still can't believe it. It's been about 5 years of our lives.

What are your goals for “Dead Heads”? Is it to get a festival run? Are you looking to just get distribution? Are you looking for a theatrical release? What would be your benchmark for success?

We're currently submitting for fests and meeting with distributors with the intent of getting a theatrical release. The benchmark for success for us is when somebody approaches us after seeing the flick and they just wants to meet our buddies Mike McKiddy and Ross Kidder (Mike and Brent in DEADHEADS). They're so excited to meet them and they just see them as the characters in the movie. It reaffirms us why we want to make movies. I just hope we get to do it again.

Where can people find out more about “Dead Heads” and is there a trailer that people can check out?

Best place to keep up on the movie is Facebook and Twitter. We're updating constantly. We also have a trailer posted. Here ya go!

TRAILER

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

Now, tell us a bit about yourselves. How did you get in to indie horror and film?

We'll we grew up amid EVIL DEAD and that put the bug in us to make movies. In high school and into college Drew and I made shorts, mock trailers for movies we wanted to make, and "no money" features we'd shoot on weekends with friends for fun. We made dramas, comedies, horror shorts, sci-fi and etc. Making the horror and comedy stuff was the most fun. You get to make fake blood, throw cow innards at your actor buddies, and you just get to play. It's a blast! After that we headed to LA with big dreams and quickly realized that Hollywood was not going to make our movie for us. We we're going to have to go do it on our own and prove we could do it.

Film school: yes or no?

I'm in the middle on film school. I think it really works for some people. I think the best thing you can get out of it is the people you meet who share the same dream as you. The flipside for me is that it's really expensive. You wrack up a lot of debt that you could instead wrack up on an indie flick you make. I didn't go to film school. I feel my film school was back home in Michigan when I got to work with all my buddies making those "no money" features and shorts. I learned so much doing that. But that's just me.

Talk about the indie horror scene, where do you think it is now and where do you see it going?

It's exploding. I can't believe how amazing some things are starting to look. The jump in quality of cinematography and special effects is astounding. They've been saying for years that the tech was coming for anyone to make a movie. It's here. But cameras and computers don't equal good storytelling. We just have no excuses anymore about not having the ability to achieve quality post production.

Are there any other projects in the works?

We have a adventure/comedy script called DORKS & DICE written we would love to do. It's a reality meets fantasy epic with heroic nerds at the center. We love nerds. We've actually plotted it as a trilogy. Dreaming big here. We also have a good and nasty werewolf script called NEVER CRY WOLF. Straight horror. We want to make werewolves scary again. The other one we're currently working on is a horror/comedy based around Halloween tentatively titled "ALL HALLOW'S EVE" but that will name will probably change. Our priority is getting DEADHEADS out there though. Our cast and crew killed themselves making this movie and we love it to death. We can't wait to get it up there on the screen.

Summer Drinks, A New Horror Site and A Film Festival

Well, it's Friday and I ain't got shit to do. Well, actually... that's not true. I've got a lot of shit to do and I want to get it done quickly, so I can hit a patio for some afternoon, summer drinks. I just said that because I like quoting movies. Anyhow, to take you into the weekend, I'll unload a couple of interesting emails that I received this week...

The first one is a little strange... and you'll see what I mean. I received and email from "Scary or Die Inc" and they're "proud to announce the launch of their new website dedicated to helping fellow filmmakers in the horror community." They offered up a link to their new site, which is NewHorrorSiteLaunch.com. Once there, they tell you that they apologize for not telling you the actual name of the site, but you can register and you'll be informed when it does goes live. Now, call me stupid, but... by any chance is it going to be called "ScaryOrDie.com?" I mean, that's where the email came from... and you incorporated the name. So, it seems a little silly to keep it a big secret at all, let alone send an email from "Scary or Die Inc" that directs you to a site called "newhorrorsitelaunch.com", then tells you the name is a secret. Anyone else think that's strange? Anyhow, the site sounds like it's exactly like funnyordie.com, which is going to be great for up and coming indie horror filmmakers. According to the email, you'll get "up to the minute horror news, events and contests (and it's) a place where independent filmmakers can upload their horror shorts, have them rated by viewers and get international exposure from fans around the world." In any case, it sounds like a great deal. Make sure you head over to NewHorrorSiteLaunch.com and register!

I also got on email from one George L. Ortiz, the owner of a film festival in San Antonio, TX called "The Horrific Film Fest". It runs from August 25 - 29 and they do it every year. Well, that was news to me, as I hadn't heard of it. So, I'll be adding it to our list. According to him, the "film fest is pro-filmmakers. As a filmmaker (himself, he) wanted to create something different and help (his) fellow filmmakers from around the world." They work with Celebrity Video Distribution as their agent and they look to create deals for the filmmakers that enter the festival. By the way, here's the cool thing... they show every film that gets submitted, as long as it's not X-rated. Go check out their website at HorrificFilmFest.com.

That's all I've got for this week. Enjoy the weekend, see you next week!

Interview with Geno McGahee, writer/director of "Family Secret"

One of my favorite things about having done this site for more than just a couple years is being able to watch indie filmmakers progress. There are lots of filmmakers that we've talked with multiple times and it's always interesting to check back in with them after each project. Not only is it interesting to see how their ideas, production quality and films evolve, it's also interesting to hear the lessons that they've learned along the way... and, hey, that's what this site's all about.

We first spoke with Geno McGahee after his first film, "Evil Awakening". You can find that interview by clicking here. We next spoke with him after his film "Rise of the Scarecrows" and you can find that interview here. Now, Geno's finishing up his most ambitious project to date, "Family Secret". He's put together both a trailer (which I haven't seen, but I don't think is fully done at this point) and a music video (which I'll embed right before the interview) and, from what we can tell, it looks like Geno has definitely moved on to a whole new level of filmmaking. Please enjoy the video and definitely give the interview a read, he offers up plenty of insight and lessons learned.



Last we talked, you had just finished up “Rise of the Scarecrows”. What have you been up to since then?

Well, I have been up to a lot. I completed filming RISE OF THE SCARECROWS in 2004ish and sort of gave up filmmaking after that, but then I was able to strike the distribution deal with Tempe Entertainment and my world of filmmaking was reborn. I filmed a movie called “SCARY TALES” in 2008 and I had made an effort to improve, mostly technique. With the distribution deal and success in sales of RISE and EVIL AWAKENING, I wanted to present something to investors so they can see that I’m more than a “backyard cinema” filmmaker, and it worked.

My new project is a film called FAMILY SECRET. I had a budget to hire a cinematographer, editor, brought in established actors, and acquired great locations. I wrote it not concerning myself with whether or not the actors can remember the lines. I really shortchanged myself and the audience by cutting dialogue in my first two movies because the actors could not remember the lines. FAMILY SECRET is the best thing I have ever done and I want people to know that this is what I’m about film-wise…I’m not just a backyard cinema film guy. I’m a real filmmaker, and I will prove that with FAMILY SECRET.

First off, tell us a bit about both “Family Secret” and this music video.

FAMILY SECRET concerns a journalist that reunites with his family after the death of his grandmother. As he eases back into his life without his family, he gets drawn right back when what appears to be the dead grandmother is going around killing family members.

What I did with the movie was to bring back the shock value. There is surprise after surprise and I challenge anyone to guess what will happen next. I really think that this is the next big thing in horror. I know that those that know my work will doubt when I say that this is going to be big, but today is a new day for me and I am working with totally new people and writing without restraint.

Sonora is a great band out of Brazil. I found them on line doing cover songs of some great metal songs…which I am still stuck on...and Chris Miyai, the lead singer, had such an amazing voice that I had to contact them about doing the title tune for the movie. They thankfully agreed and here’s the power of the Internet. It creates the opportunity for a great rock band from Brazil to work with a film group out of Massachusetts.

Horror films and heavy metal videos go hand in hand and I wanted to create one with Sonora, and with the help of the band and my editor, Forris Day, JR., we have a great rock video that I hope the people will like.

If you don’t mind us asking, what was the budget for this latest film and how did you secure the financing?

I entertained several investors before agreeing with Webhead Entertainment, LLC. They came in and invested into the project and that, along with my sales from my first two movies and every other penny I could get together equaled a budget of $14,000, give or take.

Your production value goes up with each film and now, I’ve noticed, you’re filming in HD, as well. Talk about your progression over the last few years.

There were some negative things that happened during RISE OF THE SCARECROWS and I was incredibly frustrated with the lack of dedication from most of the cast and crew. I wrapped in 2004 and was done filmmaking, and with all the negativity even afterwards with people saying that distribution was impossible and to give up on filmmaking, I was ready to take the advice but it drew me back and when I landed a deal with Tempe, I knew it was a new day for me. I took over the entire production and eliminated 99% of the old crew, replacing it with willing and able people. I filmed SCARY TALES and it was such a vast improvement that I knew that I could make something special if I had good equipment and the right people involved. Basically, no more bullshit.

With FAMILY SECRET, I made the decision to bring in a cinematographer, a special effects team…basically improving on all of the criticisms from the audience that watched my first two movies. They would attack the technique and acting and you know what? They were 100% right. It bothered me at first when they would say “hang’em up,” and I would say: “Do they know what I went through with zero budget to even get these produced?!!! Do they know the shitheads I dealt with?” All of that doesn’t matter, because my name is on it and I they were correct about most of the negative things that they have said and it has helped me immensely. I have turned a negative into a positive and they can attack certain things, but technique and acting will not be on the list.

I stepped out of my comfort zone and employed “real” actors and brought in all new people, and the results speak for themselves. My editor, Forris Day, JR., and my Director of Photography, John Golden, have helped me SO much with the production. I have learned so much and they have really helped bring my vision to life. I feel that FAMILY SECRET is my first film. It is the first film where there were no restrictions writing wise and that has made a giant difference in the production. What I wrote was what was said…no changing along the way, no ad-libbing, and no cutting down lines to make it easier for the actor.

I also needed to film in HD. If you don’t have HD, you don’t have anything at this point. My earlier films are forgiven because they are backyard cinema, but if I were presenting a movie in hopes of creating the next horror icon, it had to be HD…because nobody wants standard definition at this point, especially on the higher levels.

So, why a music video? Is this in place of a trailer or is this just to some sort of cross promotion to get the word out?

I actually have a trailer. You can see it on youtube, but we are working on another as we speak. The video was to work a duel promotion for FS and Sonora. It’s such a great song that it should generate interest in the movie and the movie is creating a buzz, so it generates interest in the band. It’s a win/win and I’m old school. I loved Dokken’s Dream Warriors video and song and I think that there are many out there that are sick of the remakes and “re-imaginings” and Asian transfers. They want something fresh and American…the American slasher is sadly missed. HATCHET came out and promised to bring it back and it stunk, but FAMILY SECRET will bring back the feeling that horror fans have missed. People will talk about it and it’s a throwback to the 1970s brand of disturbing and surprising horror.

Talk about some of the lessons you’ve learned over the last few years and how you’re applying them to this project.

My prior productions from EVIL AWAKENING to RISE OF THE SCARECROWS taught me a lot. I have learned mostly to believe in myself and to stop dealing with nonsense. I used to drive around and pick up cast members only to have them come out to the car and tell me that they couldn’t do it that day…frustrating. It made me deal with the new people in a more professional way. If you can’t make it to the set, then you can’t be in the movie.

Through the production of FAMILY SECRET, I have learned SO much about filmmaking…the technique and lighting and learning what to film to make sure that the editor can make it into a cohesive movie. The largest lesson that I have learned is to trust my instincts and don’t listen to those that tell you that you cannot do something. The minute I washed my hands of the doubters, the world opened up to me. I also am assertive now and there is a zero bullshit policy now. It’s a business and it’s bad business to have bad actors or dead weight on the set and unfortunately, some buddies have not made the cut, but I had to do what I had to do to make the best production possible.

I have also gotten more organized and FAMILY SECRET has been my life since December of 2008. It’s still dominating my thoughts and actions and I won’t rest until it does what I want it to do.

What’s your goal for “Family Secret”? Are you going to hit up the festival circuit?

The goal for the movie is a theatrical run and to be the next low budget horror film to take the world’s imagination. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY did it on a budget of 11,000 bucks and it was a very simple production. FAMILY SECRET is a better movie with better production value and I think that it has a legitimate chance to make it on the big screen. All of the greatest horror movies started out with a low budget and an indie status, more or less. You look at A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, FRIDAY THE 13TH, and HALLOWEEN….all three are low budget flicks that made gobs and gobs of money and there is a reason why. It doesn’t take a lot of money to make a great film. It takes a good story, presented well. I know that there are those out there that saw my first two films and scratching their heads, but FAMILY SECRET is in a different universe than my first two.

I have entered it into three festivals thus far and have my eyes on a few others. I hope to win, of course, and I’m trying to keep my feet on the ground. I had a test audience for FS and they jumped and were shocked at the right times. It was really promising. I think that will be across the board.

How are you going to approach distribution this time around?

I can’t go deeply into this matter, but I have one distributor that has it right now and it looks promising…if it comes through, then we will be going worldwide and possibly, make my dream of the big screen come true. I have spoken to two other distributors and they both expressed interest, but I’m hoping that the big distributor will run with it and give me a deal that I can accept. Through my horror site, scaredstiffreviews.com, I have met some great people and thankfully, they have pointed me in the right direction and have made distribution easier and have given me a very big opportunity that I’m hoping pans out.

Where can people find out more about “Family Secret” and/or get their hands on a copy?

At this point, they can go to scaredstiffreviews.com and click on the FAMILY SECRET cover art on the top left and it will bring them to the page where all the news is. They can also befriend me on Facebook. I have weekly updates there and sometimes I say something that some people may deem humorous….maybe not, but you can at least get FAMILY SECRET updates there. I also recommend visiting webheadentertainment.com, another great place for information about FAMILY SECRET. I’m hoping that a deal will be struck soon so people can see it and see what the new X Posse Productions is all about.

What’s next?

I am reshooting SCARY TALES at the present moment, high definition and with established actors. I will be wrapping in October, 2010. I was also hired for an Internet TV show called “JAKI’S BUZZ,” an entertainment show, and am planning on shooting FAMILY SECRET II next spring. If not, I have another movie called “SICKLE” that has a lot of potential. The point is to keep producing and improving. If you’re not growing, you’re dying, and the plan is to continue to grow and win fans and hopefully make my mark on a very large scale.

That's Right, I'm Talking About Lady Gaga's Video... And Why You Should Care

How many of you have seen the long version of Lady Gaga's music video for "Telephone"? You know, the ten minute version? I'll find it on Youtube and embed it below, in case you haven't. I have to say, I like the video. It has a grindhouse feel to it, plus a lot of skin and there's a lot of weird shit going on in it. I've watched it a few times, so it's safe to say that it keeps my attention. I know it's not horror, so why am I bringing it up? Well, because this site is as much about the indie horror industry as it is about indie horror... Actually, I'd say it's more so about the indie horror industry, but whatever. Anyhow, what's interesting about the video is that it's really just a short film. In fact, a lot of the short films that I see are shorter than this video. Now, this video, as of two days ago, has over 28 Million views on Youtube, been watched on MTV.com nearly 500,000 times and shared on Facebook and tweeted directly from the pop star's site some 150,000 times. That, my friends, is a lot of views... not only that, she got paid to make the video. No, not like because she's Lady Gaga and her label paid her, but through advertising. Watch the video, there's around ten different advertisers in it. From Miracle Whip to Virgin Mobile to the dating site, PlentyofFish.com. You think they're happy with the how the video has caught on? You're damn straight. So, she's made a shit load of money from all the advertisers, the short film has been watched millions of times and it didn't need TV, a cable company, a theater or a DVD player to do it... it was simply uploaded. And everyone involved is happier than a pig in shit. So, what can we take away from this?

Check out this article on Adage called "Why Long-Form Ads Are the Wave of the Future". It starts out by using this Lady Gaga example, but it gets into other 'long-form ads' and has links to some other examples, which are worth checking out. By the way, that's what they're calling this, a long-form ad, and let's not get too crazy here, it's really just a short film with advertising. Some of these long-form ads originate from the marketer/advertiser level, but some of them come from artists who attract advertisers to get involved. So, how would you get advertisers? Easy, well... easy to explain - get an audience. I'll be honest, if you can get an audience, you can get advertisers. Trust me, I work in advertising. So, are you putting this together yet? Short films, which have always been seen as the stuff of film schools and the little brother to feature films, have come in to their own AND could end up opening a lot of doors for a lot of filmmakers.

Okay, so most of our short horror films aren't going to get millions of views and turn into the next viral hit. However, as long as advertisers, big stars and big products get involved with short films... sorry, long-form ads, the market for short films will continue to develop and grow. Personally, I think the writing's on the wall, short films are going to explode - audiences are into them, the web is perfect for distributing them, advertisers are getting involved with them... How, when and where they explode, I have no idea, but I know it's going to be a good place to be. So, start coming up with your ten minute film ideas and figure out how to wrangle an audience. Until then, check out the Lady Gaga video...

Getting Your Film Distributed - A Talk With Trevor Hirsch of Seminal Films

Hey, I know you... you're that indie filmmaker with that idea in your head and you want to get it out, right? Yeah, right now, you're wondering how in God's name you're going to get this thing done. You've come to the realization that there's going to be lot of hurdles between the point where you were drunk at the bar and an idea emerged and the point where you're going to see that idea in a box on a shelf at Blockbuster. Well, look, most hurdles pose questions that are easily answered: where do I get equipment, crew and actors? If you can't answer those questions, just go back to the bar and keep thinking or... drinking, whatever makes you happier. However, some questions aren't that easily answered: how am I going to afford this and how do I get it distributed when it's finished? Well, I can't help with financing, but I can help with distribution... sort of.

In our ongoing quest to bring you as much knowledge about the indie film world as possible, we've been talking with indie filmmakers, producers and distributors and sharing what they've learned with you. Today, we have a great interview with Trevor Hirsch of Seminal Films and if you're the guy that I was talking with in the first paragraph, you're going to want to give this a read. Seminal Films is LA based and they specialize in indie film acquisition and production and they have an exclusive DVD output distribution agreement with Entertainment 1, the world's largest indie CD/DVD distributor. They distribute various genres of films, but horror is one of their key genres, having distributed such indie horror films as "Ninjas vs Zombies", "Clownstrophobia" and "Mutant Vampire Zombies From the Hood". Trevor offers up a great interview and if you're interested in the distribution process from the eyes of the distributor or you're interested in making a film that's more easily acquired, you should give this a read.

Tell us about Seminal Films. How long have you guys been around and what do you guys do?

Seminal Films started in 2009. We are primarily an acquirer and distributor of independent films, with our aim being to maximize viewership of moving pictures and profits for filmmakers. Mathius Mack Gertz, the Vice President of Acquisitions, handles the majority of our film acquisitions and sees them through the entire process from screening the film all the way up until the film’s release. We have a strategic DVD output arrangement with the Entertainment 1, the world’s largest independent DVD/CD distributor in the world. Our films are subsequently released on DVD to a number of different media carrying outlets, and are available on Video On Demand through various internet and television outlets as well.

How about yourself? What got you into film and how did you end up with Seminal Films?

I personally just recently joined Seminal in February after the company relocated from Edmonton Alberta, Canada to its new offices located on The Culver Studios Lot in Culver City, California. I previously attended the University of California at Santa Barbara’s Film and Media Studies Program and worked in various production and development roles within the film and television industries. I now do the marketing and manage Seminal's various site - seminalfilms.com -youtube.com/seminalfilmspresents etc..

What made me want to work within the industry is film’s unique ability to inform, inspire, and entertain in ways no other medium is able to.

Mathius Gertz became Vice President of Acquisitions in 2009. A graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts, Mathius has produced a number of films and worked in nearly all aspects of the film industry.

Seminal distributes a wide variety of films, including: documentaries, comedies, dramas, family films, reality and, of course, thriller/horrors. From a financial standpoint, which films do best?

Much is dependent on the quality and marketing of the film. I wouldn't say one genre is vastly different from any other, however the horror genre has produced films for us that meet and in some instances exceed our expectations.

What are the different ways that Seminal acquires films?

We acquire directly from film makers, through sales agents, and in concert with other distributors.

When you're acquiring a film, what qualities are you looking for?

Quality, marketability, Theatrical distribution, a film’s success or entry into various festivals, and recognizable talent.

Briefly take us through the distribution process. You just acquired a low-budget horror, now what?

Our distribution is a hybrid. We collaborate with the film maker to design art work. They will send us screeners to send out to reviewers as well as buyers at Walmart, Blockbuster, Amazon, Netflix, etc.

We will design sell sheets to go in books that are sent to retailers and we will customize marketing to take advantage of psyco-specific niches in the market place. In addition, an on-line campaign will be drawn up and implemented by our IT department. If the film maker is inclined, we will help them do a limited theatrical release as well.

I'd assume that the process of distributing a film differs from genre to genre, talk about the differences in distributing, say... a drama versus a horror?

There are definitely differences in distributing different genres. The horror genre is unique and different from many genres in that it has such a cult following and there is a genuine fanfare amongst those in the horror community. With a drama there is usually more of a focus on who is in the movie, if the acting is solid, if the story comes together, and whether it has had success on the festival circuit. With a horror film, it is more about the film’s take on certain aspects of the horror genre, the aesthetics, its originality, and whether it produces an excitement amongst viewers.

What are some common mistakes that filmmakers make and, if you could pass one piece of advice on to filmmakers, what would that be?

If you want to make a film that is a passion project, don't worry about the distribution. Just make it, do the festival circuit and move on.

However, if your goal is to fill a niche in the marketplace, you would be advised to get advice from a number of people in the industry as to what the market needs. Then write your script and make your film with that in mind. Most people in this business will give nearly anyone fifteen minutes on the phone to help them in their career. You just have to have the confidence to ask. My one piece of advice is that once you find what the market needs and you have the script to fill it and you are putting a budget and funding together, make sure you budget for one or two actors with some marketing potential. Even if you have to raise the budget a little or knock something else out. Retailers want names that people know. It is a whole lot easier to sell a good horror film with Gary Busey in than without. Also, remember that this is a collaborative medium. Don't do everything. The film will probably turn out better if someone other than you shoots it and edits it. Lastly, the best kind of film to do for the home entertainment market is one that is evergreen. family films, Christmas movies and horror films with plots that incorporate Halloween or Valentines Day.

Talk about the state of indie horror. Where is it now and where do you see it going?

I think the state of indie horror is in a great position right now, thanks largely in part to the internet, social networking, and word of mouth within the horror community. People have a fascination and dedication to the horror community that is unlike that of any other genre. What is great for indie horror filmmakers is that it is possible to create great horror films on a limited budget if you are skilled in the filmmaking process and have a great idea.

Talk about the future of Seminal Films, what's your plan over the next few years?

Short term we want to distribute about fifty films a year for the next two or three years and then start making some of our own. We also want very much to put money in our filmmakers pockets. We believe that a hybrid distribution model like ours is the way of the future for indie film, Combining the best of traditional and self distribution models.

Interview with Gregory Caiafa, the writer and director of "Intruder"

I don't know if you've noticed or not, but we've changed things up a bit. Not much, really, just a slight change of focus. Way back when, when we first started out, we mainly discussed the industry from a macro perspective and were basically writing like a bunch of indie horror fan-boys - not very focused. Then, as we are aspiring and practicing filmmakers and screenwriters ourselves, we decided to focus more on the filmmakers and the indie horror filmmaking process - getting more focused. Now, we've decided that we really should be more like the "resource" that we claim to be. We should be for the indie horror filmmaker and we should ask the questions that you would ask and pass on the news that you want to know. We want to gather the information that you need to get an indie horror film from concept to completion as successfully as possible - a resource for indie filmmakers. So, you may have noticed that slight change in focus in our blog posts, as well as in the questions we ask in our interviews. We want to talk to indie festival directors, to distributors and to those who've made quality films that were successfully taken to market. "Intruder", from Gregory Caiafa, is one of those quality films and he gives us exactly the type of answers we're looking for.

"Intruder" is a slasher film and, for the most part, it follows the classic slasher film rules. Having said that, there are a few things he does that makes his film stand out... most importantly, the film has great characters and it's written extremely well. From the perspective of a fan, the film delivers everything that a slasher film should - a confined space, a psychotic killer, gore and hot girls. From the perspective of a filmmaker, Caiafa delivers a slick looking film that's a great example of what a low-budget slasher film can be. He takes time to develop the characters and the story, while hitting all the marks that the film needs to. We had the pleasure of discussing the film with him and he offers up a great interview, which is right in line with what we're looking for with our renewed focus...

Tell us about your film, “Intruder” and if you don’t mind us asking, what was the budget and how did you secure the financing?

“Intruder” was a “plan b” movie. I had written a tremendous script for a retro-slasher that would have required way more money than the paltry sum I had at the time, so I quickly wrote “Intruder” to exploit the momentum I had created for myself. The budget was in the extremely low five-figures, and was secured through various sources.

One of my favorite aspects of your film was the character of Lila Red. You did a great job of building her character over the course of the film. Did you have her in mind first or the premise in mind first? Maybe you can talk a bit about the writing process.

Lila Red was the spine of the movie. My intention was to create a dark portrait of a disturbed character wrapped in the shell of a slasher film. I’m most pleased with how that aspect landed. Often, the story itself fails to live up to its protagonist, but people tend to find it compelling nonetheless. It’s unconventional for this type of picture, and many fans may be annoyed by it, but it was a conscious choice I made to separate “Intruder” from the plethora of horror flicks released each year.

I also really liked the killer. Very simple, which, for me, made him seem more real. Talk about creating the killer.

The killer was a gimmick character. Killer Clowns tend to sell well on the retail market, so I stuck one in there. I don’t particularly enjoy that detail – though there are parts I like a great deal. The character itself was meant to exemplify the randomness of violence. It’s as disruptive and unfathomable as the afflictions that haunt the main character. He’s the external force of evil in a film where the real enemy is within. I have also found attempts at a back-story for the killer to be fairly pointless in other slasher flicks, so I didn’t bother with one. At the end of the day, the slasher archetype – with very few exceptions – is like a shark: a mindless, brutal force of nature.

You also did a great job in casting. It was well acted and well directed. Talk about casting and your directing style.

I placed an ad in Backstage East and conducted my readings out of a Knights of Columbus in Brooklyn. We read a couple of hundred people before settling on the dozen or so that populate the film. I’m mostly satisfied with my choices, though there is a key role that I feel was miscast. It was the kind of situation where I didn’t have a strong handle on a character and wound up casting someone who was terrible for a part, before replacing them with someone who was only kinda wrong for it.

Intruder represented a crude type of film school for me. My background at the time was in theory, and I felt the only way to get a handle on the craft was to dive right in. I feel I did more wrong than right directorially. Given my druthers I would have rehearsed the actors extensively and been a little more concerned with the feel of a scene as opposed to simply conveying information. My subsequent directing work has been far stronger as a result of the lessons learned throughout “Intruder”.

You had some great gore in the film, too. Which was your favorite effect and how was it done?

Special Effects-wise, my fave is probably the “eye gouge”. Overall, I put more of an emphasis on impact and aftermath than insertion. I think a cerebral approach often works because it forces the audience to fill in the blanks mentally, and it also demands more of you editorially, as you have to make the effect work in the cut. I concede that may be a tough sell for a generation weaned on the excesses of “Hostel” and the whole torture genre.

Tell us a bit about yourself. What are your influences and what got you in to film?

My influences are pretty much everything made in the 1970’s. Lol. I’m drawn more to character-driven material. I couldn’t list all my favorite films on a single webpage! The Godfather Part II, The Godfather, Taxi Driver, M., The Exorcist; the list goes on and on and on…

Film school: yes or no?

I have a BA in Film Theory, and wouldn’t rule anything out in the future education-wise.

When you set out to make “Intruder”, what was the goal? Was it to make money, were you trying to open doors, get into festivals… and did you accomplish what you set out to do?

My professional objective with “Intruder” was pretty straightforward: create a low-budget slasher for the home video market that would get me a grip on the first rung of the film business ladder. To that extent I have succeeded. And I had no conceit coming in as far as criticism or the quality of the film goes. Rip it apart! As long as it gets its day in court, and as long as it isn’t personal. It’s important to note that, regardless of the relative strength or weakness of a piece, if you have some capacity as an artist the right people will recognize it. This helps you get that elusive grip on that slippery rung.

I’m pleased that many seem to enjoy the film, however I’m more encouraged when fellow filmmakers and fans who may dislike the movie take the time to give me kudos for what I did right. It’s part of the birthing process. You come out, make a bunch of bad movies, and then make a brilliant one that gets you famous (fingers crossed… tightly!).

Maybe you could talk a bit about your decision to make a slasher film and what you did to make yours stand out.

I made a slasher because it’s a niche market that never seems to go away. There have been dry spells here and there, but for the most part, the slasher flick has been a staple of the horror genre since the mid-1970’s. My thinking was that the film would enjoy a slightly longer shelf life if I made it in that milieu. On the downside, a niche market is just that: a small sample of the entire fan base. Your appeal is limited. And the audience can often be unforgiving. Many slasher fans have a ridiculously specific idea about what such a film should be and will excoriate anything that deviates from that paradigm. I went on Netflix and Adam Green’s “Hatchet” – arguably the best slasher film of the post-modern era – has an average of only 2.8 stars out of five. I mean seriously!

Talk about the process of finding distribution. If you could pass on one piece of advice to other indie filmmakers on distribution, what would that be?

As far as distribution is concerned, I sent out an extremely rough draft of the film to a bunch of companies, and got a few offers. More importantly though, I got feedback, which enabled me to make a few adjustments/ reshoots before resubmitting it to various sales agents and DVD companies. Most distributors are broke and it’s highly unlikely you’ll get anything resembling an advance, so what you’re looking for is someone with a track record of making profits from similar work. If they book and promote it well the film could turn over some green.

Honestly, though, my advice to other filmmakers would be to self-distribute. I’m extremely pleased that “Intruder” got into most major online retailers and rental services, however if you’re a newbie with no pedigree, even the “pay-to-play” companies are going to drag their asses when it comes to promoting and booking your film. At the end of the process you’re typically exhausted and just want to get it out there, but you’re going to wind up doing most of the leg work anyway, so you might as well hold onto a bigger piece of the wholesale pie. A credible producer advised me to self-distribute in the very beginning and I regret not heeding his words.

Talk about the indie horror scene, where do you think it is now and where do you see it going?

The indie horror scene is a quirky beast. It’s always a crapshoot. Films are cheaper to make now as technology has democratized the art form. But consequently the market is so glutted that it’s virtually impossible to make any kind of real money out of the gate. Financial considerations are paramount, as money equals momentum in the film biz. But the demand for films is down overall since the internet killed the video star. People are watching youtube and checking out films through pirate sites (shame!). As a result, the current generation has been primed for both short attention spans and free entertainment. Not good for the indie filmmaker. Not good at all. As far as artistic issues go, well, there will always be an audience for a truly scary film, and scary films can be made for any amount of money. “Paranormal Activity” made more than any one of the “Saw” films, and the movie’s budget was about half of what a typical Saw trap costs to pull off. Granted, that’s an anomaly, but it still demonstrates that fine work can be done with meager resources. If you add up all those factors, I think that as young filmmakers make more and more films and hone their craft vocationally, we’ll experience a new vogue of truly frightening independent horror movies in the years to come. It may be a vogue driven more by passion than profit; but that’s fine. If need be, I’d be perfectly happy selling vacuum cleaners door-to-door, provided I could still make a movie a year and get it seen by other people.

Where can people find out more about “Intruder” or get their hands on a copy?

“Intruder” can be purchased through Amazon.com, BestBuy.com, most Bakers and Taylor online retailers, and many Mom-n-Pop shops as well. It can also be rented through netflix. Here's a LINK to its Amazon page.

What’s next for you? A sequel? The film IS left open for one…

I don’t think I’ll be making a sequel. I wrote a treatment for one, and assembled a small production to make it happen. However, that was intended more as a device to keep the first film fresh. I was almost a year out from locking picture without a distributor and figured a packaged duo of films would sell better at the film markets. That plan got indefinitely postponed when I settled on the companies that put the film out on DVD and VOD.

The next step is to make another film. I have a script that’s ready to be lensed and anticipate getting the ball rolling now that “Intruder” has been put to bed. Wish me luck!

Interview with Jeremiah Kipp, writer/director of "Contact"

Over the last few years, say... the last ten years, there's been a massive explosion of feature length, micro-budget films. The Dead Harvey crew were definitely caught up in the act, too, which resulted in such classics as "The Van", "The Blood Stained Bride", "Evil Ever After" and a few others. The idea that you could pick up a camera at Best Buy, edit on your home computer and pump out a film that's broadcast quality, ready to be distributed and to do it for next to nothing, got every indie filmmaker in the act. The result? A lot of films got made and a lot of filmmakers didn't make a lot of money. That boom did spawn this very site and a lot of great relationships, but very few big success stories. Now, as audiences and media consumption habits change, I think we're starting to see people get away from the micro-budget feature and concentrate on short form film... and I think it's a good decision.

Really, when you're an indie filmmaker and you've just made a film, what's your goal? First and foremost, find an audience. Then, you get into awards, accolades and using that film to make another film. Make something, then leverage that to make something else. Right? Short film is cheaper, easier and takes less time. Not only that, there's WAY more opportunities to get your film out there. Most festivals have a short form competitions, they're easy to get people to watch and, most importantly, there's the web. Trust me when I say, if you can upload a video and get millions of views, the right people will notice. Now, short form films go by a different set of rules. They're a different animal, all together. Lucky for you, there's lots of example out there to check out, including "Contact" from Jeremiah Kipp.

"Contact" is a festival short and a very good one at that. It's shot in glorious black and white and has next to no dialogue. Very tough to pull off for a short, near impossible for a feature... however, it's pulled off perfectly here and it instantly drags the viewer into the characters and the story. The film is both ambiguous and precise and is really a great example of how well short form can work, especially when using techniques that are rarely utilized. Not only do we talk with Jeremiah about "Contact", we offer up a link, so you can check it out for yourself...

First off, tell us a bit about your film, “Contact”

We follow the adventures of a young woman who scores an underground drug with her lover—and anyone who takes hallucinogens can tell you that while the entire world can transform into a strange and beautiful place, it can also careen down dark corners; the ground can fall out from under you. It all depends on the individual. What starts out as a sensual adventure for this woman starts to corrode, and her mind starts to go over the edge, leading into a wild night of gore, psychedelic madness and body horror…

If you don’t mind us asking, what was the budget and where did you secure the financing from?

The budget was miniscule—I believe it came to around $600. Most of the films I’ve worked on, including my own, have more money. But I am fortunate to be part of the east coast independent film community, where one good turn deserves another and we roll up our sleeves to help one another out. “Contact” had fantastic producers in Alan Rowe Kelly (director of “I’ll Bury You Tomorrow” and “The Blood Shed”), who was heavily involved in casting, location scouting and managing the set, and Bart Mastronardi (director of “Vindication”), who took great care of the crew and helped keep things running smooth. Their contributions eased the financial pressure of making “Contact”, but more important they were the backbone of this production. I can’t speak enough about the value of strong producers, especially on an ultra low budget picture.

What struck me most about the film was how you had next to no dialogue. I found that it almost forces you into the emotions and horror felt by the characters. Interesting choice… talk about making that decision

I’m not opposed to dialogue in films, but it can become a crutch. Some movies feel like they should be radio plays. My director of photography Dominick Sivilli and I want to make movies, returning to the idea of film as a visual medium. The plot, characters and dialogue were pared down to the essential and we told the story through the visuals. When you start that art of reduction, it puts the spectator into a state of anticipation; you find yourself drawn into the underlying tension of the movie because you are literally watching events unfold, and if it is constructed dramatically, you wonder what will happen next.

We see a middle aged couple setting a table, and yet there is a mood in the room as if a bomb will be dropped. They set a third plate, and we come to believe they are expecting someone, and then we cut to a young man and woman running through an abandoned, burned out building. These are pictures—the audience will interpret them and start making associations between these two sets of characters, wondering how they are connected. If we spelled out the situation with expository dialogue, you might not be suspended in this sense of wonder. What is happening here, why, and how will it all unfold? Why do I feel so tense, and will there be a release of that tension? These are cinematic questions—and how we see those actions gradually build is the essence of visual storytelling.

What did you shoot on and talk about the decision to shoot in black and white

Black and white is beautiful, don’t you think? It pulls us out of naturalistic reality, the way we perceive the world, and into something closer to our dreams. Our camera was the Panasonic HPX, but more important was the cinematographer Dominick Sivilli, who was a very close collaborator throughout the shoot. It was the best kind of creative exchange, where one couldn’t tell where my ideas ended and his began. It was great to be working with someone similarly passionate about the visual possibilities, using widescreen and timing out shots to maximize the best possible light and pushing the high contrast look, using the slow creeping dolly to maximize a sense of dread.

I really liked the fact that part of the story was sort of undefined… and I’m talking about the opening and closing. You don’t really establish who those people are or what’s going on with them, although you do get a pretty good idea. Was that ambiguity on purpose?

When you make a film as spare as “Contact”, the audience tends to project their own feelings onto the screen, their own associations. But I don’t feel like that works when the filmmaker tries to build from ideas that are abstract or ambiguous. It has to be very concrete and specific for the actors, so they know exactly what they want, who they are, where they came from—we were very exact in what we wanted these scenes to be about. The audience feels that electric charge; but they are free to make their own interpretations, which may be different than my own. Once you finish a film and screen it for people, the movie no longer belongs to you—it belongs to them.

Okay, tell us a bit about yourself. What are your influences and what got you into indie horror?

I grew up in the rural woodlands of Rhode Island on an isolated road, which may have had some contribution—I would often find myself playing alone in our dense yard, and something about the silence among the pine trees opened up possibilities in the imagination. I wound up assembling my friends and making zombie movies in the backyard and westerns around burnt out construction sites. The movies I remember best as a child were horror films, ranging from the Universal monster movies to the 1970s and 80s classics by Romero, Carpenter, Cronenberg, David Lynch. Indie horror seems like the place nowadays for cutting edge genre films, and there are some fantastic directors out there right now that I find hugely inspiring. Lately, I’ve been less interested in drawing inspiration from other movies, and more from responding to the immediacy of what is happening on the set, or from life.

Film school: Yes or No?

It depends on the filmmaker. I’ve seen great movies by directors who learned entirely by process of being on a great number of sets and gaining practical experience, while others such as myself needed the opportunities film schools present. I went to NYU, which was all about having you take to the streets with your camera and making as many films as possible. You learn just as much working with other directors and crews as you do making your own films, and one should never stop the learning process. I also think on every film, you should do at least one thing that scares you; take at least one major risk.

You were the 1st AD on “I Sell The Dead”, which was a great film. Talk about splitting time between bigger budget films like that and doing indie shorts. What do you learn from bigger budget films that you take over to the short films and vice versa?

Working on “I Sell the Dead” was a banner experience for me, since the production company Glass Eye Pix is an independent production company run by an innovative filmmaker Larry Fessenden. I’ve worked on a few pictures for them, and each time it yielded great rewards. But it has little to do with budget. While “I Sell the Dead” might be considered a bigger budget film, since it had massive sets including a twenty foot guillotine in the middle of a town square, hundreds of extras in period costumes, name actors like Dominic Monaghan and Ron Perlman, and even a scene set on a boat at sea, once all of the money was spent on these lavish trappings, we still had to struggle, just like any other movie, to get all of our shots done before the sun went down, to meet the rigorous demands of our tight production schedule. Fessenden, as executive producer, emerged from the low budget world, so he is brilliant at finding ways to cut economic corners while maintaining the production value of the movie. He gave director Glenn McQuaid a golden opportunity with “I Sell the Dead”. Watching Larry at work, his passion and integrity, his standards of excellence and his support for the crew was he greater lesson from that picture.

When you set out to make “Contact”, what was your goal? Was it to get accolades at festivals? Was it to open doors? Was it financial? And did you accomplish those goals?

Our goal was to make the best damn picture we could. If you go into making a movie thinking about how the festivals and critics are waiting to greet you and hug you, you’re entering the project for the wrong reasons. Once the movie is completed, we can use it as a calling card to generate more work for ourselves, submit to film festivals and critics, and give interviews such as this one are a way to get the word out. But the festival and press experience also yields rewards, because the film is reflected back at you, giving insights into the movie that you might not have recognized while you were making it. We feel incredibly proud of “Contact” and want people to see it.

If you could only give one piece of advice to a budding filmmaker, what would that be?

There is so much to learn about making movies, from keeping up with the latest technology to figuring out how to use the camera and speak with actors. Experience is a great teacher—so be humble when you begin, and absorb the knowledge of the actors and crew you have assembled. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes, because you will learn from them. Stop talking about the movies you are going to make; we want to see deeds, not words. Spend a little time every morning writing your script; once that’s done figure out a way to make your film, even if you have to steal a camera.

Did you enter the film into any festivals and, if so, how did it do? Talk about the festival scene, is it something that every filmmaker should get involved with?

“Contact” was specifically made for the annual Sinister Six horror film festival, which was run every Halloween in downtown New York. It felt great watching the strong response from audiences. That encouraged us to start the process of circulating the movie among critics and along the festival circuit. We have received some interest, acceptance and enthusiasm already—though let’s wait for the festivals to announce their programming for 2010. As for festivals, it is a useful way to get the product out there, but the fees add up, so have a clear strategy about what fests might be the right fit for your little movie.

Talk about the indie horror scene. Where do you think it is now and where do you see it going?

There are filmmakers whose work I enjoy, and there are others that I feel are hacks. It has always been that way, and I see no reason for it to not continue in the same fashion. We live in the digital age, which has made it a lot easier for people to pick up cameras and make movies—and it remains very easy to see the difference between someone with genuine passion and a story to tell versus someone who wants their ego stroked. I will say that the east coast independent horror community is enormously supportive. Many of us know each other and take an interest in each other’s work.

I think Graham Reznick (“I Can See You”), James Felix McKenney (“Automatons”), Ti West (“The Roost”) and Jim Mickle (“Mulberry Street”) all have something to say, and it’s been great to see them garnering the support of Larry Fessenden, who seems to have moved on from indie horror into bigger budget pictures. I wish Dante Tomaselli (“Satan’s Playground”), Douglas Buck (“Prologue”) up in Canada and west coast director Jim Van Bebber (“The Manson Family”) had an easier time getting their next picture off the ground, but it all comes down to dollars. I really want to see some of the films by Anthony Sumner out in Chicago. But yeah, this is a representative handful of the independent filmmakers who inspire me.

Where can people find out more about “Contact” and/or check it out?

We posted the film online at the IndieRoar Short Film Competition (www.indieroar.com/horror) because it seems the Internet is a great way to get the word out to a mass audience, and enables the film to be seen and generate an immediate response, which has been positive and wonderfully diverse.

The film can be seen by clicking HERE

What’s next for you?

It’s imprudent to predict the future; I’ve had projects in gestation periods for years and then had surprises like “Contact”—where we only knew a month before our shooting dates what we were doing. Right now, I’m planning a segment in an anthology created by Bart Mastronardi based on the work of an American Gothic writer, as well as another anthology segment from a creature feature for executive producer Marv Blauvelt. I also have a feature length monster movie I would love to get off the ground, and it would be fantastic to work once again with my team from “Contact” as soon as possible. Let’s see what the future brings.

The Weekend Box Office, "Wolfman" and the week in horror DVD's

A Superbowl-sized hangover that could make the biggest lush in New Orleans cringe kept me from writing my post yesterday, so here we are today... and I feel much better, thanks for asking. So, what happened at the box office? Well, not much... except for the fact that a rom-com dethroned Avatar's reign. I guess the theaters were filled with people that weren't watching the Superbowl? So, "Dear John" takes the top spot and, really, it's not a huge shocker, if you think about it. I mean, this was the eighth weekend of release for "Avatar", it wasn't going to sit at the top spot forever and it's not like it did bad... it came in second. Speaking of bad, "From Paris With Love" underwhelmed and could mark the end for Travolta. Then again, it's been a slippery slope for him, the end could've been a while ago. When was the last time he made a film that mattered? Other than that, the only thing of note is that "Sherlock Homes" broke $200Million Domestic over the weekend. It's really a good film and it hasn't gotten much press about it, due to "Avatar". Anyhow, "Wolfman" comes out this Friday and I'm interested to see how it does, for a few reasons. I'm guessing that they won't mess with the story too much... I mean, it's a remake of the 1941 classic and I've heard they're really sticking with that plot. It's got a great cast, Del Toro is perfect. However, how will audiences react? Vampires are sexy. Well, Hollywood's made them sexy these days. Taylor Lautner's depiction of Jacob Black in "Twilight", specifically in "Twilight: New Moon", has made werewolves kinda sexy, too. Now, that sex appeal is what attracts the female audience, as well as a younger audience. So, can Del Toro add a bit of sex appeal or are we going straight for the horror crowd? The film IS rated R for bloody horror violence and gore... so, it looks like they're going for the straight horror crowd and, if that's the case, will it deliver? So, let's get to the week in horror DVD releases. As usual, you can see all the trailers by clicking HERE to go to our Youtube Page and you can click on the films title and be taken to its Amazon page, where you can read more and/or buy it.

If you think there's no original ideas left or if you're wondering what a festival film looks like, look no further than Travis Betz's "Lo". It's about a guy named Justin and how his life changes forever when April, a bizarre and curiously naive woman, is mysteriously kidnapped by demons. Facing singing demons, talking hands, dancing bartenders and human sized rats, Justin's love is put to the ultimate test. I read about this film a while ago and have been anxious to check it out, I'll definitely report back. I love the originality and concept.

"9 Lives of Mara" is another festival film. It won at "Fright Night" and the "HP Lovecraft Film Festival" and it was an official selection at various others. It's about an amorous intruder, a witch, that's hellbent on becoming a young twelve year old's stepmother... which leads that twelve year old an inextricable path towards insanity and murder. Once again, I haven't seen it, but it did really well at the festivals and director Balaji K. Kumar got a lot of praise for his work. If you're gunning for the festivals, this and "Lo" should be on your 'must watch' list this week.

I'm not going to lie, I read about Flavor Flav's "Nite Tales", from Deon Taylor, but I didn't check it out. It was my understanding that it was a "Tales From The Crypt" type deal, hosted by Flavor Flav. Anyhow, Flavor Flav's "Nite Tales" is presenting "Dead Tone", which could be a bad omen... Once again, Taylor was a co-director here, so I guess they're just extending the Flavor Flav horror brand? I don't know, it seems like a bit of a stretch. If you can fill me in, please leave a post in the comments. The film is about prank calls gone bad and it's supposedly based on true stories.

After reading the title "Butchered" and checking out the premise, I thought to myself, "well, this is a bit tired, come on guys..." Typical slasher title and a typical slasher plot - a group of teens charter a boat to an isolated island where there's a convicted serial killer on the loose. HOWEVER, I watched the trailer and completely changed my mind and now I'm going to have to check this out. It looks really well done and quite gruesome. I just wish they reconsidered the title... maybe there's some plot twists in there, too. I'll report back on this one, as well.

For the horror history buffs, check out "Stephen Romano Presents Shock Festival", which is a 3 disc collection that includes over 7 hours of grindhouse audio and video footage. It's a collection of hundreds of previews, tv commercials and radio spots for the sleaziest, sexiest and most off-the-wall films ever made.

I can't say I know much about the Spanish TV show, "Gabriel", but it's supposedly a poignant love story of reincarnation, revenge, and redemption set against today's neo-Gothic underworld of vampirism and the occult. It was the winner of six Suncoast Emmy Awards and it's a 4 DVD set of the complete first season.

Upcoming Horror Releases, The Box Office and the Week in DVD's

At this point, let's just look past "Avatar". It's the same old story at the box office again, as "Avatar" won the weekend... for the seventh weekend in a row. Looking forward, I'm trying to think what will knock it out of first place... Nothing next weekend, "Dear John" and "From Paris with Love"? Really, Lionsgate and John Travolta? Really? The next Scorcese / DiCaprio project comes out on Feb 19th, "Shutter Island", which could be a contender. I'm excited for "The Crazies" on Feb 26th, but that's not going to be a blockbuster. The next monster hit may be "Alice In Wonderland", from Disney, starring Johnny Depp. Long and short, "Avatar" is just going to keep ringing it up for a few weeks, anyhow. Horror's well represented over the next few weeks, as well. "Frozen", from "Hatchet" director, Adam Green, gets a limited release next week; "The Wolfman" finally comes out the week after that and then "The Crazies", the remake of the George Romero classic, comes out on Feb 26th. So, that's what's up at the box office. As for what's coming out on DVD this week, let's take a look. As usual, you can go to our Youtube Page and check out all the trailers and/or you can click on the titles and be taken to their Amazon page, where you can read more about them and/or buy them...

"Zombieland" comes out on Blu-ray and DVD this week and, I'll just say it... I liked it. I'm not the only one, either - it won awards. It won the critics choice for best comedy at the Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards and the audience award at Sitges. It's horror/comedy at it's best and Woody is classic. From a filmmaking perspective, it's funny to note that the project was originally pitched as a TV series and the film is actually just the first three episodes, reworked. The brains behind "Zombieland" are Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick and they broke into Hollywood by coming up with the idea for, and creating, "The Joe Schmo Show". "Zombieland" is their first feature and now they're tapped to do "Earth vs. Moon", "Zombieland 2" and the untitled G.I. Joe Sequel. Great success story...

I'm not going to lie to you, I don't know much about the short-lived TV series, "She-Wolf of London", but you can now get the whole series on DVD. It was distributed in first-run syndication in the US from October 1990 to April of 1991. The first 14 episodes were filmed in England and the second season, which was filmed in L.A., only lasted 6 episodes. Never seen it, don't know anything about it.

In anticipation of the updated Wolf Man, Universal is rereleasing the 1941 version, "The Wolf Man (Special Edition)", which is a classic... with Lon Chaney Jr, Bela Lugosi and the whole crew. It's one of those films that you should just see for the sake of seeing. The big thing of note is that this is the film that introduced the idea of werewolves being vulnerable to silver. Who knew, huh?

Alright you Debbie Rochon fans, get your box of Kleenex and hand lotion ready, as "The Good Sisters" is finally coming out. Hey, that's not to take away from Debbie, we love her. She's a great actress, has done a lot to push indie horror forward and she's one of the top scream queens in the biz. Always, always, always support Debbie Rochon. Bless her heart...

Last one up this week is "Sensored", directed by Ryan Todd and written by Kevin Haskin. It's about a children's book illustrator who inhabits a twilight world of shifting reality and illusion, where cruelty and rampant evil do battle with his better instincts and sanity is a question of perception. Nice rhyme... question of perception. I like that. Best part about this film? That evil children's book illustrator is played by Robert Picardo, the guy who played Richard Woolsey in "Stargate" and, of course, The Doctor in "Star Trek: Voyager".

That's it for this week. If you've seen any of these flicks, feel free to post comments on them!

Interview with Colin Cunningham, actor/director of "Centigrade"

I'm a big fan of short form film... and for various reasons. As a filmmaker, they're great and economical ways to explore a subject matter. Features cost a ton of dough and take lots of time and man-hours to make. If you can make a short, based on a bigger idea, you have something to show financiers, studios or executives. You can also enter it in festivals and drum up interest. They're great calling cards, you have a better chance of getting people to actually watching them and they're easier to get into film festivals. Also, short form films are easily distributed through the web... Once again, a great way to get your content out there and in front of people and that's really what you want. At the end of the day, if you're looking to make a name for yourself or get noticed, short form film offers a lot of opportunities.

Now, because of all that, we've had a lot of short form films sent our way over the last few years and have seen a few people go on to big things because of them. Most notably are the Fewdio guys and Paul Campion, who, between the two of them, made some of our favorite films of the year; "Nightmare House", "Eel Girl", etc... Recently, we had the opportunity to watch "Centigrade", by Colin Cunningham, and it now joins the ranks of those films that I just mentioned. The film is both mysterious and satisfying, as it leaves you with some questions, but, really... you don't care that they're not answered. The film is set up perfectly and effectively and it delivers in the end, which is everything you want from a short. That goes without mentioning the cinematography, which nails the claustrophobic and tense look and feel. The film is exactly what a short horror film should be and, not only that, it leaves you wanting more. We had the opportunity to discuss the film with Colin...

Tell us a bit about your short film, "Centigrade"

CENTIGRADE is film about karmic justice. Inspired by Steven Spielberg's (almost forgotten) classic DUEL, a man lives in an old, broken down Airstream travel trailer, but wakes up one morning to discover that he is, in fact, rolling down a desert highway. Towed by a mysterious black pick up truck, the man has to use his wits in order to survive. The film started with Producer (and business partner) Madison Graie. I had actually written the script 14 years previously and she recommended I blow the dust off it and see if it was still worth looking at. It was actually the DGC (Directors Guild Canada) that inspired a re-look because of their annual KICK START AWARD. A couple hundred people go for the thing, to which they only pick 3 or 4. If we could win the award, it would be $20,000 (the films budget). So, we applied. We won. And away we went.

Also, I'd like to mention that everybody thinks that 'credibility' only comes with a feature. If it's not 90 minutes, it's worthless. And nothing could be further from the truth. Some of the best films I saw in 2009 were all shorts. Mind blowing works. Films 6 minutes long packing more punch than most 2 hour epics. It all started with the short format. Hal Roach, Chaplin. All geniuses. And as any lover of good cinema will tell you. It's not how long it is, but what you do with it.

I had absolutely NO interest in acting in the film. If anything, I was somewhat retiring from acting and phasing into directing full time. I've been in a stable of directors over at CMT (Country Music Television) as well as having worked a number of other indie film projects and it was time to make the jump full time. I had actor Callum Rennie slated to play the lead, but we couldn't lock schedules down. So I reluctantly put on the acting hat as well.

You did a great job of creating a claustrophobic atmosphere in the trailer and the camerawork was fantastic. Talk about creating that look and feel

Cinematographer KEVIN HALL, Madison and myself spent a great deal of time working that out. To create an environment that felt like you we're trapped inside an iron lung, as opposed to hanging out in one of those fun, Airstream travel trailers cruising around on holiday.

You not only played the lead role, you also wrote and directed the film. Talk about balancing all your roles out

It was hell. And I mean that. An incredibly hard thing to do. To act in a film that you're directing, isn't really that big of a deal. Provided that you're sitting in an office, or doing a simple walk and talk. No problem. But for this, this was off the chart. And again, it was 'not' an ego thing. I didn't want to act in it. I really didn't. Fortunately, I had Madison guiding the performance from the other side of the camera. Still, on our last day of shooting, I swore I'd never do it again. That kind of stuff will put you in the hospital.

The film has a distinct ending, but does leave the audience with a few questions... the main one is, who's doing this to this guy? Is this on purpose or... is there something I'm missing?

Well, I don't want to give anything away, but no, you didn't missing anything. It's deliberately ambiguous. It's left up to the audience to put their own two cents in there. But it's essentially a tale of karmic justice. The dark irony of what happens when the 'trapper' becomes entrapped.

Okay, tell us a bit about yourself. What are your influences and what got you into film?

Madison and I adore film. We both started out as actors on stage and have such a great passion for it. To be on stage, in a moment of pure magic when you connect with the play, the character, the audience. It's incredible. But with film, you can actually capture that 'moment'. To record it. To trap it on film forever. Replay it. Put it in the mail. Wow. To attempt that kind of thing thing is why we're filmmakers.

Film school: Yes or No?

I did go to film school. But there wasn't anything I learned there technically that I couldn't have learned in 3 days on a film set. I don't knock film schools, but I would strongly recommend you DO NOT take a 4 year program and put yourself a 100,000 in debt. That's insanity.

When you set out to make "Centigrade", what was your goal? Was it to get accolades at festivals, was it to open doors, was it financial? Did you accomplish those goals with it?

We'd made a lot of movies. Shorts, music videos, features. And certainly not all of them were as successful as Centigrade. But Centigrade has proven what can be done with 15 minutes. I can only pray that it inspires others to get out there and do the same. But it started out as a presentation pilot for a tv show. But to see how it would be received, we began submitting to film festivals. Then iTUNES heard about the film and we made a deal. And not only did Centigrade make the Top Ten List of 'Best Shorts' on iTUNES, but it was also the first short film in iTUNES history to break the TOP TEN in FEATURE downloads. We literally made it along side such mega Hollywood Blockbusters as IRON MAN and INDIANA JONES (Crystal Skull). These are 60-80 million dollars flicks. And to be a 20,000 dollar 'short'... to make it onto such a list with people like Steven Spielberg is just incredible. But the icing on the cake had to be making the short list for an Academy Award Nomination last year. We qualified by taking Best Short at Cinequest in California and made it through the first couple rounds after that. Pretty cool.

All in all. The project has accomplished what we'd always prayed for. It started out as a presentation pilot for a tv show. And it has served us quite well in that regard. We went to the Banff Film and Television market in Canada and have since partnered up with some great companies in bringing 13 episodes of DARKARMA (the tv show) to the small screen. We've just formally locked down show runner, Sam Egan, are in negotiations with both network and distributor and it's all systems go.

The film won various awards at film festivals, so you obviously entered a bunch. Talk about the festival scene. Is it something that every filmmaker should get involved in?

Absolutely. But the tough part is that you never know which one is going to be a bust. You just don't know. You think, just because 'such and such' is the biggest, then it's the best. When in fact, it's a tiny festival where you may want to be. Plus, it's a bit of an unpublicized truth, but SO many film festivals are nothing more than a racket. Pure and simple. When submitting, you may wonder if they actually ever watched your film. But you can be damn sure they cashed your check. I've always said, want to make money in film? Don't start a film company. Start a film festival.

Talk about the horror and indie horror scene. Where do you think it is now and where do you see it going?

It's an exciting right now. Incredibly exiting. And if you're a filmmaker, try not to get too caught up in 'what's happening now' or where it's going. Learn as much as you can about what is happening in terms of the industry, distribution etc. Just don't forget to get out there and SHOOT!

Where can people find out more about "Centigrade" or get their hands on a copy?

iTUNES is perhaps the easiest place to get hold of it. Just type in 'Centigrade' in the search window. But also, keep a look out for the feature version of Centigrade and, of course, the tv series inspired by it. The new show is called DARKARMA. The first show in the history of television devoted entirely to the concept of karmic justice.

Content vs Distribution: An Argument and A Perspective

There's a long running argument in the entertainment world... content or distribution? Which is King? Personally, I've always thought that content is king, but that could just be the storyteller in me. Tell a good story, make it compelling, make it good and it'll find its way. Cream always rises to the top... or was it shit always rises to the top? In any case, there's a lot of people out there who disagree with that and think that distribution is King. Go ahead, make whatever you want, the people who distribute content will decide what's good and who watches. At the end of the day, you need to get past the gatekeeper. Really, if you think about it, this whole argument is basically the studios versus the indies, isn't it? The studios are the ones who have the agreements with the theater chains, they own the networks, they have the distribution. They can make shit movies and still make a buck. Indies, on the other hand, are all about content. They have to sell their films, they have to find an audience. If their content stinks, that's it, it stinks and hopefully their parents like it... because they probably funded it. Both sides have a point and it's not a new argument. So, what is it? Content or distribution?

Up until recently, the distribution side probably won out. Who's kidding who? If you didn't want to go through the networks, the studios or the theater chains, how were you going to get anyone to watch your content? What was the result of that system? Well, you had Tuesday nights where the best thing on TV was "Coach" and you got a lot of Dolph Lundgren movies... with all due respect to Dolph, I loved his movies. Today, the networks, studios and theater chains are actually starting to lose a bit of their power. Sure, you still have to go through a network, studio or cable provider, but there's 100's of channels that run lots of indie content, there's plenty of DVD distribution outlets that will stock your film and there's tons of film festivals that'll give you a theatrical screening... and that all goes without mentioning the one distribution outlet that's shaking the very foundation that the studios, networks and theater chains were built on - the internet. From downloading legal indie content to piracy to Hulu and Boxee, the power really is starting to shift from distribution to content. Now, tell a good story, make it compelling, make it intriguing and you can find an audience, one way or the other.

Now, I don't think that it means that it's going to be any easier to distribute your film... or, should I say, successfully distribute your film. I still think you're going to need help, which I think will see the rise of a new breed of agent or manager, one that helps you navigate this 'new world' of distribution and just takes a percentage of profits. This is an area that we at Dead Harvey are hoping to get into, to be honest. We know and study the landscape and see a world of opportunity for good films and good content that studios, networks and theater chains would generally ignore. As usual, if any of you would like help in this area or just want our opinions, we're more than happy to give it - like I said, we're still studying this landscape and would love to work with some 'test subjects', so to speak. However, if reaching out for help just isn't your thing and you'd rather just read something, here's links to two articles that I recently found, which gave me the idea for this post.

Screen: Indie Filmmakers Find Alternatives to the Multiplex - I actually read this offline in Wired magazine, one of the few magazine that I actually still purchase... and then found it online to share. A great one page article on how indie filmmakers are finding out new ways to make money.

Backyard Filmmakers Are Hollywood's Greatest Fear: Analysis - funny thing about this article is that it was written 5 years ago. It's a good read, but the sites he mentions and the technology he talks about are currently outdated. However, I think that makes the article all that much more valid.

Have a great weekend, see you next week!