Interview with Andrew Moorman, writer/director of "Sympathy"

I'll keep this short because the following interview is long... Now, before you write off the interview due to its length, I'd just like to say that this is another one of those interviews that I would consider to be 'required reading' for anybody that's considering delving into, what I would call, the indie horror arts.

The best part about this interview is, I read about "Sympathy" when it first came out on DVD a few weeks ago and instantly went out and got it, based on what I had read. Then, I was so blown away that I decided to email the filmmakers. Then, right away, they got back to me. Honestly, the film exceeded my expectation on many levels and I'm even MORE impressed after reading what filmmaker Andrew Moorman had to say. The film is a top-notch indie horror and Moorman gives up a great interview. With that, I'd like to get right to it...

First off, tell us a bit about your film “Sympathy”. What’s it all about?

Taking place entirely in a rundown motel room in the middle of nowhere, Sympathy pits three characters against each other for one long night of lies, deceit & bloody revelations. It's a claustrophobic cat & mouse game and what makes it fun is that everyone in the room thinks they're the cat. I'd call it a suspense thriller, but there are certainly shades of horror. The script was adapted from a stage play called 'Serendipity,' which was an equally down n' dirty effort by playwright Arik Martin that went on to become a critics choice on the Chicago stage. More than anything, though, I want people to know Sympathy is a truly independent film. It has robots, titties, and tons of explosions!

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

Initially I didn't give away the budget because I didn't want distributors knowing how cheap they could get the damn thing, but now that it's out it's something I'm very proud of revealing: $6,500 was the budget that got us from concept through creation and onto the silver screen. In fairness once the film was acquired for international distribution we had to spend more money on the requisite formalities, legal and such, but our final tally was still less than the catering budget on an episode of Bosom Buddies. Arik, the aforementioned writer & co-producer, was by day a dog walker in Chicago. His K9 tutelage extended to the pet of an investment banker, whom had shown an interest in Arik's artistic endeavors. We invited him out to dinner, pitched the concept and got a check the next day. It was the only thing on this film that was easy. We did paid for the dinner, though. We both made a copy of that check and framed it, while I think the investor forgot he wrote it. It's not a lot of money, but to us at the time it was a fortune of riches. Just the idea that someone would give you money to go make a piece of art, regardless of the amount is a beautiful thing. If you listen to the DVD commentary you'll hear some anecdotes on how we arrived at that budget. Less than scientific.

We’ve always preached that if you want to keep your budget down and production value high, come up with a script that has one location and only a few actors. You nailed that concept. Did you have that in mind when you came up with the idea?

Well the script existed as a play first. This was not a case where we wanted to make a movie, didn't have a lot of money, and came up with an idea to service those parameters. But luckily I had arrived at that same conclusion prior to making a feature film and went searching for the right one. You only get one debut, so I wanted one that allowed my focus to be on the actors & the narrative as those are elements that aren't dictated by budget. I came from a lot of theater as well and those are the elements I enjoy the most. I made a lot of films in college and certainly played the game of trying to forge the scope of something much larger. The budgets for my projects were always nothing, and as a filmmaker you're invariably trying to reach that level that's considered 'professional' by Hollywood standards, but I escaped that trap once I was introduced to independent cinema: the 70's movement in America, the French new wave in the 50's, even film noir of the 40's... it was all about filmmakers embracing their limitations. I decided to do the same.

Let’s talk about the script. The story kept my attention from beginning to end and had all the twists and turns you could ask for. Tell us, what makes a good script and what makes a good horror script?

I'll pass the kudos on to Arik, who deserves the credit for that. Personally I don't differentiate between any genre what make s a good script. For me nothing is as important as the characters. Avatar is a great example of a solid story told in a truly dazzling way that kept me interested & entertained throughout, but why didn't I wake up the next morning thinking about it? Why isn't it Network or Chinatown? Plot can only take you so far. We as audience members have to have great characters - relatable, likable, dislikable, believable… Whatever genre: Charles Foster Kane, Don Corleone, J.J. Gittes, Darth Vader or Jack Torrance, great characters make great scripts. They are our conduit into these worlds. Once you're in, though, it's the way the story unfolds & develops - how it holds your interest. Past character I always look for structure & pace. Are there great scenes? Are they structured in a way that works and does the pace dictate a good ride? I strongly believe in the ol' adage 'You can turn a great script into a bad movie, but you can never turn a bad script into a great movie. If the script sucks the movie sucks, no matter what amount of money or resources they throw at it or how well it's done (see: Michael Bay).

Talk about casting. Not only would your script require good actors, I’m thinking that they better like each other – that’s a lot of time to spend in close quarters. Any lessons learned there?

When you make a film, especially an independent, you're going to war. You have to cast actors that aren't just the best performers for the role but are people you want to go into battle with. Most of the casting is done in that first meeting, the initial vibe, the conversation… you know pretty instantly if that's someone you want to be in the trenches with. Then you can assess their talent and have faith that they'll get there. Getting there is the work, that's my job, but no amount of rehearsal can manufacture the right attitude and soul for this kind'a thing. I was blessed in the casting of this film. What we endured to get this film made... I truly believe there are no 3 people on earth that would have stayed in to the extent Marina, Steven & Aaron did. I tortured them to no end and they always came back the next day, ready for more.

Now, what about the set? It’s a hotel room, but it’s not really… you built it inside a barn. Talk about the decision to do that and how you made it come to life. I found out you did that after the fact, I couldn’t believe it. How much did that cost?

After I read the script I wanted to do this film 'right.' What I mean by right is the way the industry does it. I always knew it was a set because I needed to control every aspect, from design to space and light, but I wanted to do it in a proper sound stage with proper professionals and not have to cut corners or ultimately short change what I felt was a script that deserved a proper treatment. The reality was once we created a budget for doing it that way it was going to be either a long time or never until we got that money. We did give it a go, but got discouraged pretty quickly. At the same time a friend of mine had just fled the city and bought a farm house in a little town in Indiana, about an hour outside Chicago. He sent me a picture of the new digs and I noticed this big, beautiful barn in the backyard. I rang Arik immediately and said, "What would you think about shooting this movie in a barn?" We drove out the next day, pulled down a gravel driveway, slid open the carriage doors and knew instantly this was it. It just felt right. It matched the way we both worked and the way this project was always conceived. I'm a big proponent of providing the actors & myself with as little distractions as possible. You already have to work so hard to consistently suspend your disbelief when making a movie, do as much as you can up front to avoid distractions. When we saw the barn for the first time and the plot of land it resided on we decided there's nothing to do out there but make a movie. Fortunately Arik's dad & brother, as well as Aaron's brother were all carpenters by trade and whipped up a set in no time. It was under a grand if I recall and donated by Arik's dad. You can actually watch a time-lapse of the set being constructed on Sympathy's website. As far as making it come to life - my main objective in the design was to keep it simple. Too many motels in movies look like movie motels. I'm sort of an aficionado of run down motels, as odd as that is, and Arik and I scouted some 50 versions in pre-production. What you learn is that they all look relatively the same, with repeating elements of furniture pieces & layout. So I didn't over-do it. What I concentrated on was texture & color. The wallpaper is like a skin, because I viewed that room as a fourth character. The comforter, sort of the center-piece in the room was blood red. Beyond that I wanted all the furniture and appliances to seem familiar & timeless. Lastly the layout, which most people don't notice, is identical to Room 1 in Psycho.

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

I can't ever recall a time when I wasn't into film, so I have no idea what initially drew me in. I grew up in a small town in Ohio, a very idyllic upbringing that now feels like something out of Blue Velvet. I went to the cinema my whole life, to the point where my parents would drop me off when they opened and pick me up when they closed. That was my rabbit hole. I'd hop from screen to screen in a theater buried in the basement of a mall. I also used to ride my bike to an art theater, where I was introduced to movies outside the mainstream. My neighbor across the street was a cinefile and had a massive VHS collection that I'd pillage whenever possible. Then my best friend in high school was a movie lover so as soon as we got our driver's license we'd go countless times a week, sneaking in the exit door when a showing was letting out or hibernating in the dollar theater watching all the second runs. It's always been my favorite place in the wold, a cinema, and I've always spent time there, escaping into different worlds. They all feel like home. I've wanted to make movies since I can remember, and have been influenced in some way by thousands of films, directors, writers, actors, cinematographers… Anyone involved in this mystical craft has inspired me in some way.

Film school: yes or no?

No. If you got the money for film school make a movie with it instead. No better education.

What was your goal for “Sympathy”? Was it for accolades? Were you looking to make money? Either way, did you achieve your goals? Any lessons learned that you would pass on to other filmmakers?

If you make a movie for accolades or money, good fucking luck. That sounds like a recipe for disaster. The main goal was to make a feature film, which is pretty damn hard. After that it was to make a good feature film, which is next to impossible. How many people want to make a movie? Of those, how many actually do? And of those that do, how many are actually good? You're facing pretty intimidating odds on all accounts. I wanted to make something I cared about, finish it, and be proud of it when it's done. On those regards Sympathy is an absolute success and artistically I achieved my goals. I'm very proud of the movie. What I would pass on? Film is transparent - it doesn't just project an image, it projects intentions.

Talk about the indie horror film fest circuit. What did you learn from it and is it something that you would recommend to other filmmakers?

I was reinforced on what I already knew going in, which is horror fans are the greatest in the world. I'm not pandering, cause I am one. If you're going to make an indie film and hope that fans accept & embrace it, there's no better genre to be in than horror. It's a community and a family and the fests are like reunions. I'd recommend to other filmmakers to work within this genre and go to as many of these events as you can as no venue or audience will give you as much joy. To stand in the back of a theater or hotel convention hall and watch a hundred like-minded people enjoying your movie is an indescribable rush. I could have traveled that circuit for years and can't wait to do it again. At the same time what I really love about horror fans is you can't bullshit 'em with a terrible movie or they'll eat you. Literally.

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?

It sucks. It's long and arduous and filled with too many formalities. You go from in front of a script to behind to a camera to an editing bay, which are all exhilarating places to be, to suddenly holding a phone to the side of your head for ten hours a day bullshitting with bullshitters and trying to whore your film out to the highest bidder. Things you loved about your movie suddenly become shortcomings and people who've never seen it are criticizing it based on its stats: 'Who produced it? Who stars in it? Who's your picture rep, your PR firm? Never heard of 'em. Dial tone…' And when someone does finally agree to watch it's not in a darkened theater with popcorn & 5.1 surround sound, it's on their laptop at 10:30am with a phone ringing incessantly & Ellen in the background. I desperately wanted the film to be judged on its merits alone. In a perfect world one could say, "Watch my movie. If it sucks, throw it away - if you love it help me get it out to people." If they love it others will, it should be that simple, but it becomes about so many different things. I can't tell you how many times I heard, "We love Sympathy, we just can't market it." Ultimately you have to realize the movie business is exactly that: a business selling movies. Distribution is when you cross that line and enter a whole different realm. That being said you have to understand the business as much as you understand the art or get another career. It's a marvel in its own right. Watch movies about movies (Sunset Blvd., Barton Fink, State & Main, The Player, Swimming With Sharks, The Big Picture, etc…). Do your homework. Read the trades, bookmark BoxOfficeMojo & listen to KCRW's The Business. Read William Goldman's Adventures in the Screen Trade, The Kid Stays in the Picture, Joe Eszterhas' The Devil's Guide to Hollywood. Listen to as many DVD commentaries as you can, particularly those by filmmakers like Sidney Lumet. While we all hate the flawed distribution model that's been created, that sees far too many terrible films made and driven to massive success and far too many great films buried in obscurity or never made at all - it's nothing new and nothing you can change. You certainly aren't the first to face it. But my one piece of advice, having been through it, is that you still can't make your film to sell your film. Don't learn the model then make your movie to fit inside it. The studios invented the model, they spend billions on their movies and they still make flops. Just make the film you want to make then let the rest work itself out. The internet is changing distribution. Every day more people watch cat videos on YouTube than see any movie in theaters. I'm not sure what to make of that and don't endorse the creation of a feature length cat movie, but times are changing and the way people get their content is as well. Just remember why you wanted to make films in the first place and pick your path.

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

Technology pushes the arts. Indie films are closer than ever to looking and sounding like studio films and breaking down that wall will allow more indie films to enter the mainstream arena. Horror is still the one genre you can succeed in without a star as well, and the horror community is always amazing at building word of mouth and showing up when they actually squeak one into theaters. Social networking is a big element now and horror is on top of it. It's a really successful genre right now and I don't see that dying anytime soon. It's no longer seasonal either, as many horror films are coming out in February as October now. It's a good time to be a horror movie. Thankfully the J-Horror obsession has dried out. Those were all great originals but not many of the remakes were worth a shit. Personally I'm also glad the torture porn movement is seemingly on its way out. For a while there I started looking around the theater while a girl was being knife raped for two hours and wondering when we'll just resort to paying eight bucks to watch the surgery channel over a screaming track. Like all things it's cyclical and trend-based. Lots of remakes on the way - hard to get excited about that. Where I hope the indie horror scene goes is where it went in the 70s. Let's get inventive & refocus on what fear is. Fear is psychological. Watching a piranha eat someone, in 3D nonetheless, isn't scary. It might be exhilarating to some, but horror should be more than that. Let's tap back into the psyche.

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

Check out the websites:
SympathyTheMovie.com
Facebook.com/SympathyTheMovie
twitter.com/SympathyTheFilm
As far as buying it I think all the standard sites carry it now: Amazon, BestBuy, Barnes & Noble, or you can rent it on Netflix but you won't wanna send it back and that'll just plug up your queue. If you do buy a copy and dig the flick contact me on the website and I'll give you an address to send the cover to. The entire cast, Arik & Myself will autograph it and send it back.

What’s next?

I'm ready to make another movie. I was willing the second Sympathy ended, but hadn't found that next film that I thought would be right. While I was looking or waiting for Hollywood to bequeath me a franchise I co-wrote a very personal film on spec. We've been tinkering with it for some time now but very recently it's finally come together and it's something I think deserves to be made, so off I go on another indie adventure. I don't take it lightly, making movies. I admire filmmakers like Terrence Malick & Stanley Kubrick that only made films they felt deserved to be made. I certainly hope to make more films, but so did Kubrick. He worked on movies for years that never got there. The main thing is I have an unspeakable amount of respect for cinema and vow to uphold it. The new film will be very different and equally as risky. If it works, I look forward to another one of your wonderful reviews. If its doesn't, at least I can say it's mine.

Interview With Jacob Ennis, writer/director of "Stash"

They say that a good horror villain needs to have an 'other' quality to it. Now, the problem is, 'other' can be hard to define. By it, I mean it's something that's foreign to you. Something you don't know much about, something that you've heard stories about, something that's outside of your comfort zone - it's otherly... the easy example is ghosts, which have been a fixture in horror since its inception. However, it's no coincidence that Dracula is from Transylvania - a remote region of Romania, that the Creature From the Black Lagoon is, well... from the Black Lagoon. Jason, Freddy and Michael Myers all have 'other' qualities: Jason's basically a campfire story, Freddy is the creepy janitor that high school kids talk about and Michael Myers is the urban legend about that house that's down the street. When you break down horror characters, there's lots of things, creatures and people that have this 'other' quality and, of course, one mainstay in horror that definitely fits the bill is - the hillbilly.

Hillbillies have been around for a while, I mean "The Beverly Hillbillies" was the number one show on TV in the early 60's. However, I'm not sure where and when the poor hillbillies actually took their turn to the darkside. Without question, "Deliverance", which came out in 1972, played a major part. Since it, "Dueling Banjos" will never be the same and the lines, "Squeal like a pig" and "Where you goin', city boy?" will always get a laugh on camping trips. On top of that, two years after it came out, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" hit the theaters and that was it for those poor backwoods folks... they forever had 'other' quality and, since then, hillbillies and small town folk have become the stuff of nightmares. Every time we pass through some remote town on a road trip and see a couple of people sitting in chairs by a gas station, all we have to do is sing the opening few chords of "Dueling Banjos" and we all get the picture... Them. Others. Roll up the windows, I'll wait here.... you can pump the gas.

Every year, you'll see new twists on the hillbilly theme in horror and they'll just keep coming. As urban centers continue to grow, hillbillies will always scare city folk and it'll be a tough stereotype to shake - they're way too ingrained in every horror fans psyche. Personally, I'm a fan of hillbilly horror and that's why I was excited to review Jacob Ennis' "Stash", which revolves around a hillbilly, Bud, who not only supplies the surrounding counties with their weed, but he's a bit of a sadistic guy and has a bit of a 'rape and kill' problem. It's a micro-cinema horror that's extremely well written, well acted and really well put together... it shows like a film with 10 or even 100 times the budget. I was very impressed with it and Ennis deserves a lot of credit for doing so much, with so little. You should definitely check it out, if you get the chance... and, of course, you should definitely read the interview...

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

I have always been into horror films. When I was a kid I would go to the library and check out books on classic movie monsters and makeup effects. There was this really cool line of books that was published on the classic Universal monsters and I loved them. The other was a Dick Smith book on makeup effects. I would keep them checked out most of the time. What was really cool was my sister would later go to work at the library and they were getting ready to toss these books out , because they were getting old. She surprised me one Christmas with all of these books I loved so much as a kid! I remember watching horror films at a very young age. I was always drawn to them. The first VHS movie I bought was NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. I literally wore that tape out playing it so much. I was very much into The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Ray Bradbury Theatre. some of my fondest childhood memories stem from me getting to stay up late on the weekends with my dad and watch these awesome shows. Some other great memories was when I discovered the TOXIC AVENGER on USA's UP ALL NIGHT Gilbert Gottfried and Rhonda Shear...good times.

Not only was I Into horror films, but also Haunted Houses, plays and puppetry. When we would have our annual family Christmas party, I would be upstairs building Haunted Houses with my cousins in the upstairs of my childhood home. We would then sell tickets and let our family members go through it. This later branched into making films when my mom and dad bought the first VHS camcorder.

Film School: Yes or No?

No film school, but I did get a degree in Radio and Television Broadcasting. I got a job right out of college working for a local TV station in Master Control. It was a primitive operation at the time. The transmitter building, which resembled a Nuclear War bunker, was located in the middle of nowhere, right dab in the middle of a cow pasture. From there we would switch the on-air programming, which consisted of several 3/4 inch tape machines, a 1970's era switcher, and a crude satellite operation. It was cool, and I learned a lot from this job. You really had to be on your feet, unlike nowadays were everything is automated. I also started the process of writing STASH as a novel during my down time when we would air paid programming. I soon jumped into the production department where I worked for several years.

What was the approx budget of “Stash” and how did you secure financing?

It was under $5,000. I shot a short film in early 2003 called HAPPY ANNIVERSARY. I had cast a local actor Billy W. Blackwell for the lead part. Billy had worked on some other indie stuff around the area, and his wife Denise Blackwell also was getting active in the local film scene. They also had an interest in producing something. They really liked how fast and efficiently I shot the short, and they asked me If I had any scripts. I had just finished up writing STASH and they gave it a read and really liked it. From there they agreed to produce the film and put up the money.

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

We shot the movie on the Panasonic DVX-100A. We went into production on February of 2004. All in all it took us about three and a half years to shoot. The reason it took so long was the majority of the actors had "real" jobs and other real life obligations to take care of, including myself. There was also some sickness and other issues that we ran into during shooting. I edited the film along as we went. I would probably still be editing if I had not done that.

Tell us a bit about “Stash”. What’s it about and where did the idea come from?

STASH started with the title. I thought it was pretty cool, then I started writing it as a novel concept. I had most of it written as a novel form, but just set it aside for a couple of years and really didn't do anything with it. After having it on the back of my mind for awhile I decided it was too good of an idea not to try and do something with it. I took what I had from the novel, and over about a two week process I had my first draft for the script.

Honestly, what really impressed me about the film was how well it was written. From the story structure, to the characters, to the subplots… it all fit together perfect. Take us through your screenwriting process…

Well, like I said before, it really just started with the title. From there I knew I wanted to do something that had a Marijuana element. I knew I had a great arsenal of locations at my disposal, coming from the beautiful state of Kentucky. I actually don't write too often. I have here lately, but from the past it would only come in spurts. It was kind of like a dam though, when it opened the floodgates were wide open. The whole storyline unfolded within a couple of weeks. Most of the characters were based on people that I knew. I never had an outline or a clear path of where I was going when I started. It kind of just flowed out as I went, like most writing projects. The editing was the same way. The opening scenes with the naked chick(Naomi St. Claire) in the woods was an afterthought. I didn't realize until I was finishing up editing that there was really too much driving. I tried to break it up with a bit of nudity. I always heard that you needed to catch the Distributors attention within the first two minutes of your film. It worked. I also added the epilogue diary entry scene at the last minute as well. It just didn't work without it. I thought that it gave it a better closure before the final stab at the end.

The next thing that really stood out for me was the music. First off, there was some original music involved… but, also, there was a great score. Who did the music and talk about how it was all put together. Did the original music come after the fact or was it done before you started shooting?

The music was definitely in the forefront of my thinking. What I really hate about most indie films I see is the generic Garage Band music. 90% of the music you will hear in STASH was recorded for the film. Mark Schoenrock composed most of the what you will hear in the film. I met Mark when I went to work at the Fox station. He is a very talented engineer and composer. He recorded all of his tracks in the wood shed behind his house. He played most of the instruments on the incidental music, along with my Brother in law Floyd Lovins on Banjo and some other local musicians he brought in like Dirk Schilngmann on Fiddle and Elijah Wilson filling in on Guitar. I have always been impressed with Mark's work, and the theme song for STASH just floored me. "If you ain't got the cash....don't mess with Bud's stash." Another force in the soundtrack was someone I learned of while watching a Tim Ritter film TWISTED ILLUSIONS 2. His name is Toshiyuki Hiraoki and he is a composer from Japan. I talked to him via email about the project, and he very quickly started sending me tracks. No scenes were visually composed to a scene. They just kind of fell into place during editing.

Some of your actors, namely Bud, had no previous acting experience, but a lot of your other actors had quite a bit of experience… especially on other low-budget films. How did you manage the cast? …and talk a bit about your directing style.

We had a couple of casting calls for the project. I had previously seen Nathan Day(CJ) and Stacey T. Gillespie (Stan) from other local film projects. I knew that I wanted to work with them, and they fit the part. After they read for the parts, and especially after I watched them act together, I knew they were perfect for the roles. I met Karen Boles (Sarah Conrad) at a local film convention in Lexington. She handed me a head shot so I already knew of her before the casting call. She came in and just hit it out of the ball park. The way she goes into character on the drop of the hat, and her professionalism sold me immediately. The same goes for everyone else. We had a wide range of local actors and we had no problem getting the cast we needed. The last character we casted was for the role of Bud. I was talking to one of our PAs Claude Miles about how we had not found the actor to play Bud. I went on to describe the character to him, as a big 300 plus bearded long haired guy. He told me that sounded just like his old roommate Kevin Taylor from his college days. The next day Claude emailed me his picture, and I knew we had found our Bud. One of the last roles we cast was the role of Jenny Brook's mother. I had met Debbie Rochon on the shoot of Jerry William's and Eric Butt's film ZEPPO, and got to chat with her a bit. I later sent her the script and she was very excited about being a part of it. We had her on set for two days. It was a wonderful experience, and a honor to work with her.

Tell us about some of the hurdles you overcame to get the film done. What advice can you pass on to other indie filmmakers who are just setting out to make a film?

The biggest obstacle is your own motivation. Can I really finish this? I would say while I had an awesome group of people working with me, in hindsight I took on too much. I was the writer, Director, Editor, DP and editor. If only I could have got a couple more people to help out on lighting or an extra PA, maybe I could have focused more on Directing the scene. I think that maybe some of my performances could have been better If I was not concentrating on framing the shot or moving the light or whatever.

Another hurdle I overcame, and I guess continue to overcome is the naysayers. There will be way more people that try to bring you down, than bring you up. Get out there and do it. There is really no better way to learn than to do it yourself. Some people will say that you must go to film school. While you might learn the basics, the true learning will come in the field. Keep writing and keep shooting. You will walk away from every project a little bit better. There are tons of people that will say someday I will make that perfect movie. If only I had this or that. My camera is not good enough, or I don't have enough money, or If I only I could finish that script. You can talk and dream about it, but can you actually do it? Yes you can. Jump on a film crew as a PA. Do whatever you can. Take these skills that you will learn and use them towards your own projects.

Did you enter “Stash” into any festivals? If so, how did it do and is the festival circuit something that every indie horror filmmaker should consider doing?

We entered STASH into a couple of festivals, but we obtained our Distribution early on. We played at the Fright Night Film Festival and Scare Fest. I would say that Film Festivals are great. Yes the awards are awesome, but the true prize is the connections you will make. Film Festivals are a great promotional tool and can greatly help the marketing of your film and to secure a distribution deal. I think one of the better ones is Troma Dance. There an indie filmmaker can enter his or her film for no cost. It's all about the films.

Talk about the process of finding distribution, what would you tell filmmakers who’ve recently finished a film and are looking for distribution?

Distribution is a touchy subject. Only securing a deal for one film, I would for sure not be the expert on the subject. I was lucky enough to have the guidance from my good friend and fellow filmmaker Tim Ritter. I met Tim when I interviewed him on my late night TV show Moonlight Cafe'. We stayed in touch and became good friends. Being one of the pioneers in Horror in the early straight to video days, Tim has seen all aspects of the business. His guidance was invaluable during this process. He was also able to get a screener directly into the hands of POP cinema President Mike Rasso. I was really shocked at how fast Mike responded about the film. Luckily he liked it and we signed with them. You will need to have someone with experience to help you over this process. Either that be a fellow filmmaker who has experienced the legalities of a distribution deal or an attorney. There will be tons of paperwork and legal jargon to go over during this process. This is all very important. Make sure you know what you're signing! Having all of your paper work is crucial. If you shoot the movie and one of your actors flakes out and you don't have their release form...you're fucked. Get your shit together from day one on all releases. It doesn't matter how great your movie is, if you don't have the proper paper work your film will not get released. Do plenty of research on your distributor, and don't expect to be able to buy that Ferrari quite yet.

Where can people find out more about “Stash” or, better yet, buy a copy?

You can go over to myspace.com/stashflick and check out all of the latest news and updates. There is also a cool interview and podcast at alternativecinema.com. You can buy the DVD from the distributor's website at alternativecinema.com or Amazon.com. The film is also available for rent at all Hollywood Video, Movie Gallery, Hasting's stores, Netflix and Blockbuster.com.

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

I think that anytime indie films are being made is a good time. I respect anyone that can get out there and see a project to its completion. With the technology available today anyone can make a film. This is a good and a bad thing. The bad is it over saturates the market and makes it harder to secure a distribution deal. That just means you have to make your film stand out. I really don't like all the remake craze, but at least it is getting horror films back into the theater. I think the future for indie films is very bright. I believe the major studios will continue to feel the impact of indie cinema. We can now make micro budget films that sit next to multimillion dollar studio pictures on retail shelves, and play at the theater. The future has endless possibilities and will continue to get better.

What’s next for you? Do you have any projects in the works?

Right now I'm finishing up post production on a supernatural documentary called HAUNTED KY: SPIRITS OF THE BLUEGRASS. We have been all over the state documenting paranormal evidence, and learning the ins and outs of the Ghost Hunting field. There will be some mind blowing evidence revealed in this film. Getting ready to go into pre-production on a film called RED RIVER. This one is about a killer that lives deep inside the Red River Gorge named Roland Thatcher. He captures and kills unsuspecting campers and hikers and cuts them up to fertilize his weed crop. There is a much more twisted story in there, but you will have to wait to find that out.

Interview with Christine Parker, writer/director of "Fistful of Brains"

You may remember a film that we discussed a while ago, from Christine Parker, called "Forever Dead". If you missed it, can't remember it or just want to read it again, here's a link to our interview with her about it... She's gone out and made another zombie film called "Fistful of Brains" and, quite frankly, I love the fact that she followed up her first effort so quickly. Next, I love the fact that this film is a huge step up from her first film as far as look, feel and story and, not only that, she made it for around the same budget. Further, she managed to round up a few notable names to get involved. So, you know what that means? That means she's evolving as a filmmaker, which is awesome and great to see... and what's even better about that is, she's willing to share what she learned with you. So, here we talk with Christine Parker about her latest film, "A Fistful of Brains". Enjoy, it's a great read...

"Fistful of Brains" is your follow up film to "Forever Dead", at what point did you decide to go out and make a second film?

We were actually about half way done with Forever Dead when we came up with the idea of doing a zombie western. My friend Darrell Parker had just done a movie at a guys old west town that he'd built on his horse ranch and thought it would be a great location for a horror movie.

The films are very different, yet they both have to do with zombies. First off, do you just like zombies or is it a coincidence? Secondly, where did you get the idea for "Fistful of Brains"?

Firstly, yes I do enjoy making zombie movies. I would like to do something other than zombie movies but right now our fans are demanding more zombie movies so we'll keep making them.

Secondly, geez that's a tough one. I knew I wanted to do a zombie western and we had come up with the title Fistful of Brains and we just sort of went from there. I started writing and the story just evolved. I did a couple of rewrites and we had it.

Did you increase your budget on this one at all?

Believe it or not we didn't really spend much more than the last one. The difference is this time we didn't have to buy all the equipment so we could put the money into the production itself which was nice.

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

I used the same camera as last time my trusty old Canon GL2. It took us nearly a year and a half of shooting on weekends to get er done.

As far as the filmmaking process is concerned, what did you learn from the first film that you could apply here?

A WHOLE lot! I got from behind the camera more this time and actually let Bill Mulligan do a lot of the shooting. So I really got to direct more. We also planned things out more. Even did some story boarding and shot lists when I could get Bill to use them. We had a better sound hook up this time.

We knew a lot more about lighting so that worked better. We felt we went a bit overboard with the last one on the gore so we cut back on the gore a bit on this one and tried to spend more time on character development. And most importantly I let a professional, Greg Putnam, do the sound design and composing. This was real load off of me since I really struggled with that on the last one.

Talk about the set. It was UNREAL, absolutely perfect. What came first? The idea. or the set?

The set came first but we actually ended up using a different town than the one that originally inspired Fistful of Brains. The one we originally wanted was too expensive. We looked at a few alternatives. Oddly enough there are more than a few people who like to build faux western towns on their property here in North Carolina. My friend Ed knew someone who had gotten married at an old west town that some guy had built on his property out in Smithfield so we checked it out. It was perfect. Deputy Dan (William Drake) is the guy that owns it and is a veteran actor from the old westerns I grew up watching. It was a perfect fit.

You had some notable cameos in "Fistful of Brains", including Heidi Martinuzzi, Pericles Lewnes and Chuck Williams. How'd you get them involved in the film?

Heidi I'd gotten in touch with from Forever Dead. She helped me promote it on her website pretty-scary.net. She heard about me when I started selling credits to raise money on e-bay and we became e-mail friends. I offered her the part of Daisy in Fistful. She came down for the weekend and shot with us and we had a blast! She was such a professional. She really made us step up our game.

Peri I met through that ill fated Fox reality show On the Lot. We found that we both had a love of zombie movies. I was already a fan of his since I'd watched Redneck Zombies for inspiration when were getting ready to shoot Second Death. We talked on the phone a few times and he gave me some great advice on distribution when I was shopping around Forever Dead. I wrote the part of Frank for him so he really couldn't turn it down.

Fortunately he lives in Maryland so he was able to drive down for the weekend. It was like 100 degrees that weekend and no AC in the town. We were all sweating like dogs! He was great though and really gave one of the best performances in the movie.

Chuck was a friend of my friend Ed. Ed runs a haunt called the Frightmare here in Raleigh and he met Chuck at a haunt convention. This was when we had first done Second Death. He loved the movie and gave us a quote for the cover and even called me to discuss it. He didn't care for Forever Dead quite so much but I still convinced him to come play a part in Fistful of Brains. We cut a deal and he came out for the weekend and fun was had by all. You can hear interviews we did with all these guys on our podcast at fistfulofbrains.podbean.com

As far as distribution is concerned, what did you learn from the first film that you applied here?

I learned that sex sells so we did our best to sex this one up a bit. If it weren't for the over the top gore on Forever Dead I don't think it would have gotten distribution. I'm hoping they will find this one more marketable. At least it does have a fairly unique idea which is good too.

Where can people find out more information on "Fistful of Brains" and/or buy a copy?

We're working on the DVD extras right now and hope to have copies available to the public by late January or early February. Check our myspace page or contact me there for updates. That link is myspace.com/fistfulofbrains Our official website is fistfulofbrains.com and our podcast site that chronicled the making of our movie is fistfulofbrains.podbean.com

What's next?

Next is the sequel A Few Brains More: Summer of Blood. We plan to ramp things up a few more notches and hope to do some really cool stuff with this one. It's set in 1973 and continues the story of Lily and Jack as they continue to pursue Dead Eye and stop him from creating more zombies. The myspace page for that is up and running: myspace.com/afewbrainsmore

We're also doing a short film for our Executive Producer Lanny Maude who put up most of the money for Fistful. He's a great screenwriter and wrote a wonderful horror short called Dead of the Night. We'll be shooting that in February and March. I'm also collaborating with a Belgian writer Mike Cannon on adapting one of his short stories about a werewolf. So that should be fun! Then Bill Drake has written his own cowboy movie that he wants us to shoot for him in March and April so we'll be back out at Shadowhawk for that. We're pretty busy!

Interview with David Francis, writer/director of "Awakening"

I don't know if I've just been watching a lot of zombie movies lately or if there's just more of them out there, but I've gotta say... I've been very impressed with what I've been seeing. I watched a couple of indie zombie flicks, back to back, a week or so ago. First, I checked out "Zombie Diaries", which was a great, tension building flick (we hope to have an interview with those guys soon), then I checked out the lesser publicized "Awakening", originally titled "Zombie Night II: Awakening". I was blown away by both. Honestly, they were two of the best indie horror zombie films that I've seen in a long, long while and, the best thing was, they were distinctly different.

Where "Zombie Diaries" did a great job of building tension and really creating the world in which it lived, "Awakening" accomplished something that you almost never see in a low-budget horror film... it's a balls-to-the-wall, all out gore-fest with piles of action, including car crashes and explosions. I mean, it starts off like most low-budget indie's, but builds to a bloody, fiery conclusion that will leave you wanting to go grab your camera and just blow shit up. It's a true accomplishment, as far as action/horror on an indie level is concerned, and we had the pleasure of discussing the film with writer/director David J Francis.

Tell us a bit about yourself. What are your influences and what brought you into the world of indie horror filmmaking?

Desperation? Nah, it's just fun. I've always loved horror movies, the way they made you feel more alive through fear. It's like that feeling you have when coming up from the basement that there is something just behind you and you practically kill yourself getting to the top of the stairs before the "monster" gets you. That actually happened last week again. Damn it's fun. That's what brought me to this world, I want everyone to know and enjoy (and fear) that feeling.

Film School: Yes or No?

No, college and university for theatre though, great base for where I am now.

Where did the idea for “Awakening” come from and what made you get off your ass and go make it?

Awakening is actually Zombie Night 2. Zombie Night, as Mike Masters would say (probably rightfully so), is one of the worst movies ever made but it was a blast and we had an opportunity to do something new several years later so we decided to take what we had learned in the interim period and apply it to a sequel!

How did you go about securing financing and what was the approx budget?

The budget was under $100K, business loans, credit cards, credit cards, lines of credit and more credit cards plus a very supportive producer kept that particular dream alive!

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

We shot on the Panasonic 100a and we shot over a two week period. 14-15 hour days but we got it done.

There’s a lot of tired and redundant zombie films coming out… talk about the zombie genre and how to keep it fresh.

It's tough keeping it fresh. Awakening is a throwback in many ways but we tried to make that interesting and compelling with the zombies only emerging during the night. With the emergence of "fast" zombies traditional living dead flicks have had to adapt to stay alive. This, I believe, is causing film makers to rely more heavily on story and acting to the benefit of us all. To me the fast zombies should not be considered living dead but instead be victims of a plague or biotoxin as will be seen in my feature Primal scheduled to be shot in late 2010. Fast or slow, I love 'em.

No question, the effects were unreal. Talk about doing effects and making them believable on a low budget.

That's the easiest part, you just need a group of extremely talented and dedicated people. We had a wonderful FX team that went above and beyond to ensure we had the best effects possible. only about 25% of the coolness they created is visible on screen, the cost of a low budget movie, we didn't have enough lights to see them! They went so far as to collect road kill and leave it out overnight in order to harvest life maggots in the morning. One of our feature zombies would spit them out in different scenes. Disgusting and barely visible on camera but tremendously cool. All of that is available on the feature film "Good, Fast and Cheap, The Making of Zombie Night 2; Awakening" to be released through our website Primalfilms.com in early 2009.

Tell us a bit about some of your favorite effects in the film.

By far my fav is the maggot zombie, he was done as a surprise for me. twelve hours in the makeup chair to do it. absolutely fantastic, it blew everyone away. He only got a few seconds on camera for the final cut but it was worth it. He actually spat out live maggots and worms!

Now, Awakening is actually Zombie Night 2. Why change the title and is there a third? How do they all fit together?

The title is actually supposed to be Zombie Night 2; Awakening but it got changed with the US release. There's actually a flow between parts 1 and 2 however the third movie is called Reel Zombies (Reelzombies.com) and it follows Mike Masters, myself and our cast and crew as we embark on our third feature Zombie Night 3 but after zombies actually take over the world. It just started the festival circuit and is blowing everyone away. The trailer is up on youtube.com.

Tell us about some of the hurdles you overcame to get the film done. Any advice you can pass on to other indie filmmakers who might be just setting out to make a film?

Sometimes the hurdles seem to be insurmountable but anything can be accomplished with hard work and great people beside you. As with any indie film, cash is always a problem but we were lucky enough to have large lines of credit. The next tough thing is getting people. For Zombie Night 2 we had over 600 volunteer cast and crew come out! What fantastic folks. The town of Deseronto, Ontario, Canada opened their doors and hearts and made this movie happen. If we needed anything they would do whatever they could to ensure those needs were met. The lesson from that is never EVER burn a location, keep the locals happy and treat them the way you would want to be treated. With respect. When we finished shooting the mayor presented Mike and I with the key to the city. When we needed to shoot some scenes there for Reel Zombies we were welcomed back. Keep up those contacts and relationships, you'll need them. From time to time the people that have helped you out will ask for a favor, honor that. They gave you their time (the most valuable commodity there is), give it back!

Have a SOLID script and plan of execution but be willing to flow with any changes or challenges that come up. You'll need to.

Next tip. Contract EVERYONE and make sure your contracts are legit and solid. Trust me, you'll need them.

I'd continue but there would be a book (at least a novelette) for your readers. No-one wants to read about me waxing eloquent like that!

To summarize, have good people watching your back and watch theirs in return.

Did you enter festivals? If so, how did it do? Talk about the festival circuit… is it something that every indie horror filmmaker should consider doing?

We didn't bother doing the festival circuit with Zombie Night 2 although Mike Masters and I travelled to the Berlin Film Festival where we rented an office at the film market there to attempt to sell it ourselves (once had an extremely bad experience with a sales agent). What an eye opening experience to discover the process of selling a feature film. If I had done that seven years ago before shooting the first movie...

I'd highly recommend doing the circuit provided your project has a chance. It's tremendously expensive simply submitting to them let alone traveling the globe following your movie. Research the festivals you are submitting to and ensure that there is a category for you. If you have a slasher flick don't submit to a Christian Values festival!

Tell us about the process of finding distribution. How did that go and what insight could you pass on to other filmmakers who are looking for distribution?

That's about the toughest part. We went to Berlin to the film market there. Learned a ton and made some contacts. through that we got a German and US release then hunted for sales elsewhere but ended up having to bring on a sales agent to find those buyers. Be very very careful and do a background check on any agent, distributor or wholesaler that offers you a deal. There are wonderful people out there that will act honorably and work with you and others that might go so far as to forge your signature on a contract and sell your movie from under you! It could happen so watch your ass.

Where can people find out more about “Awakening” or, better yet, buy a copy?

There is info on the movie on our company website Primalfilms.com. Copies are available on Amazon.com and in select stores in the US and again, the making of... feature length documentary (the birth of Reel Zombies!) will be available on our website in early 2009 as well.

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

It's tough to say. To me, an Indie movie is one that should have a cap on the budget. When an extremely wealthy individual puts, say, 1,000,000 into a production and has star friends appear in it with great media coverage (because of those involved) and is called an "indie" movie simply because it doesn't have studio backing, I cringe. How can people like us compete with that? Don't get me wrong, I have absolutely nothing against a movie made in a scenario like that, I just don't want to have to compete against them on equal ground as if all our resources were the same. Independent (Indie) movies are just that. They are made independently of studios or mainstream cinema. We operate outside of that. We want in but live on the fringe until we get there or die trying!

What’s next for you? Do you have any projects in the works?

For now am just following Reel Zombies through the festival circuit and spending time with my daughter, she put up with a lot during her six years. I did the rough edit for Zombie Night 1 when she was only a few months old and sitting on my lap, then I took off to make ZN2 and finally a full summer shooting Reel Zombies then almost 2,000 hours editing it over a winter. She needs some quality time... I'm all she has, so it's important to be there for her. But...

once the festival circuit is over....

to be continued!

Dead Harvey TV Post 2: Preproduction

Brad wrote up a small post last week on how we're shooting a pilot episode for "Dead Harvey TV" and if you missed it, click here. Anyhow, we thought it would be cool to document the whole process and share what's going on with you, our dedicated reader. Much like everything else on this site, maybe others can learn from our mistakes. Before I send this over to Brad, I would like to duly note the three legends on set there! From left to right, you've got Brad Paulson himself, then Chris Watson and, finally, Aaron Burk. What you can't see is the hoards of screaming fans outside that window who kept disrupting the set... now, on to Brad.

This time it was really easy. Unlike the previous movies (The Bloodstained Bride, The Van, Evil Ever After) we wisely decided not to have multiple locations and actors. No-budget filmmaking is a bitch enough as it is without making things worse. Instead, we followed the five people, one location formula of the last short we did, "Reservoir Drunks".

The first episode of Dead Harvey TV has roughly five characters and takes place 80% in one set: our apartment, which we decorated to look like a public access style TV set. Our DP kept telling us to put the emphasis on production design. This is something we seriously neglected on previous projects and I had no idea just how important that was until we did this one. Since we were spending out of pocket on this one (and have no money to begin with) we resisted this but were convinced by several people it would make a big difference.

It made so much of a difference I felt like a complete asshole for neglecting it so much on the other movies. For a couple hundred bucks we were able to coat the apartment in production design and when you see how filled the screen is in all the shots it takes your mind off the fact you're watching something micro, and you're more prone to get caught up in the atmosphere and the world the characters live in.

The other elements fell into place as well. We didn't audition anyone, instead picked the people we knew would work the best and haven't screwed us over.

We spent one night introducing everyone, having some beers and doing a readthrough/blocking session. That helped tremendously in getting everyone comfortable with one another and building a comraderie. So much so that, when we got around to filmmaking it felt like we were in summer camp together.

Another important aspect was also covered: we scouted the two locations outside of the main one before we shot there. This turned out to be very important because the bar were were going to shoot in had a skylight which we wouldn't have known unless we scouted it before. This allowed us to change our shooting times in advance.

It's amazing that we let such simple things that make so much of a difference to the wayside on the other projects. We spent so much time concentrating on other aspects that we forgot to take care of the most important ones first.

Lastly, we got ourselves a great dp. We spent so much work on the other projects getting everything into place and ready for the shots, but we're not dp's... so it failed. You can spend a million dollars, but if the shot isn't exposed properly it will end up looking twenty times more unprofessional. Why did it take us so make movies to learn these few simple things? I have no idea. I'll just blame it on the excessive drinking for now.

The next post will cover day one of production. See you then!

Linkapalooza - The Winds of Change in the Indie Horror Film World

You smell that? I think the winds of change are finally starting to blow over the film world... well, the indie film world, anyhow. Just take a broad look at the business right now, all the studios and the conglomerates that own them are losing money and market share. Their stock prices are plummeting, they're laying people off and selling assets. As far as films are concerned, they green light fewer films and the ones they do, have to fit a certain criteria. They know that they have to dump tens of millions of dollars into just marketing a film and that's outside of the hundreds of millions it costs to actually make the fucking thing... and all that in the time when we're in a global economic meltdown and everyone's trying to save money. Couple that with the fact that you can buy an HD, broadcast quality, camera for around $1,000 and get all the software you need online, for nothing (a few hundred bucks if you're not into pirating). Then, the internet provides almost every networking and marketing tool you could need. So, what do I think this all means? Well, I was just reading about how there's a new term in New York called "Frugal Chic", or something like that. Basically, how it's "in" to be cheap now. And I think you're going to see a rise in the low - no budget film world, as people turn to other sources for entertainment and embrace the fact that there's very little wastage in true indie filmmaking. Where it's starting to be "in" to wear cheap clothes, drive a fuel efficient car and find deals, it's going to be "in" to support micro budget film. Think about it, it makes sense to me...

Honestly, I have a ton of thoughts rattling around in my head on this, but I'll stop there... and share a few wicked and FREE resources that I've found online that you need to read or bookmark. Actually, the first two are good resources that you should check out, the third thing is just some cool news that you need to know about.

Filmmaker IQ: Okay, so this is a site that you really need to bookmark... and it's not because Dead Harvey gets mentioned in their post, Horror Filmmaking, From Script to Scream. In fact, that Horror Filmmaking article, alone, is a must read. There are so many DIY tricks on props, make-up, special effects... I don't know what else I can say about it. If you're like me, you'll bookmark it and start going through all their links, one by one, trying out all the shit that they're talking about. Very cool site.

While I'm mentioning Filmmaker IQ, I should mention another site that I came across called Film Festival Secrets. It's from Chris Holland, who's been writing about movies, film festivals and indie film since 1991. He actually has a downloadable pdf version of his book, Film Festival Secrets, available for free, on the site. You just have to join his newsletter. He's worked with the Austin Film Festival as their director of marketing and still screens films for them. He's now the director of festival operations for B-Side, which you may recognize, as they have that film fest community software. Anyhow, he put together a book on getting your film into festivals and it's probably worth checking out, especially if it's free. I'm going to join up and get it now, so if there's some catch or something, I'll be sure to come back and edit this post. (Ted's note: Yeah, it's free... just downloaded it)

Here's the last sign that the indie horror apocalypse is upon us... a movie about monkeys with guns gets green lit. Here's a a link to the article, 'War Monkeys' feature in works on THR.com. It's the biggest budget film that Dark Horse Indie has ever done and it's apparently filled with monkeys, guns and explosions. The plot revolves around two janitors who, during a Christmas holiday, get trapped in an underground research facility after accidentally unleashing military-trained Rhesus monkeys. Now, is it me or does it seem that there's more and more films like this coming out these days? Seriously, I think indie horror is starting to get more and more mainstream. So, when you're writing, get crazy, think way out there... it's starting to catch on!

Distributing Your Indie Film Part V: Imagination Worldwide, Well Go USA and Monarch Home Video

Back by extreme, popular demand, it's the fifth installment of "distributing your indie film"... and I only know it's popular because our indie horror distributors page is the most clicked on page on the site... and here I thought it may have been Brad's drunk ramblings or my arm chair insight into the industry. Guess not. Anyhow, most of the companies on the list right now are the obvious ones or bigger ones, but the three below came to my attention because they were the distributors for some of the films that we've recently discussed with their filmmakers. I do hope that one day our 'indie horror distributors' page will be a complete guide to the who's who of indie horror distribution, but until then it'll have to be a work in progress... which gives me an excuse to write about distributors every couple weeks or so and keep posting this girl in this shirt. She's an indie filmmaker.

Now, to just give you our little warning, we do think that you shouldn't rush into any deal that's offered to you. Send a package and screener to all these guys, then weigh your options. Also, always read the fine print on your contract. And, as usual, if any of you guys have stories, good or bad, that you'd like to share, let us know. We're a community here and we really need to look out for each other.

Imagination Worldwide is an international motion picture sales and distribution company based in L.A. Formed in 2003, it is owned by Chairman and CEO Pierre David and Reel One Entertainment. David has produced or executive produced over 100 movies, including "Scanners", "Videodrome" and "Deep Cover". Recently, they've distributed "The Zombie Diaries", "Five Across the Eyes" and "The Hamiltons", so they're big into the whole indie horror scene. Now, I'm not sure if they distribute themselves or if they work more as a sales agent for you, but either way, I've heard good things. If you head over to their site, you can go to their contact page and find the email addresses for everyone, including Travis Stevens, their director of Acquisitions & Marketing.

Well Go USA specializes in the acquisition and distribution of entertainment programs in the television, digital and video market throughout South East Asia and North America. They have extensive retail relationships and currently sell products directly to key mass merchants, specialty chains, record retailers and wide distribution. If you go to the site, you'll notice that they do a lot of exercise videos and kung-fu stuff, but don't fret. They also recently distributed "Beneath the Surface", "Zombies Anonymous" and "Death of a Ghost Hunter". They're big into the Asian market, so if you think your film caters to that audience, these guys may be the route to go. They're partnered with a bunch of guys, plus they distribute on to Amazon, Blockbuster, Best Buy, etc... Unfortunately, they don't have much of a contact us page, it's just a generic deal. However, there is still a way to get a message off to them there... so head over to their site and do it.

Monarch Home Video is one of the oldest indie distributors of home video products... and they were formed in 1989. They're a division of Ingram Entertainment, the largest wholesaler of prerecorded DVDs and video games in the US, so... that's good. Oddly enough, they're the guys behind all the "Ernest" films. However, recently, they've released films such as, "Conjurer", "Vampire Diary" and "Dark Remains". The good thing is that they actually have an acquisitions page on their site, as they're "always looking for new product". Right there on the page, however, they admit that they're looking for films with budgets in the $1M - $5M range with a marketing hook. My advice? Lie about your budget. Everyone does.

linkapalooza - November 6, 2008: Hellraiser in Capable Hands

I sometimes wonder how our kids or grandkids will think of the era that we're living in right now... I mean, think of the amount of change that we've seen... seriously. I remember being a kid and my Dad setting up a projector in the basement to watch home movies, I remember when he brought home a "VCR", I remember video games when they could only be played in an arcade, I remember not having an email address. Hell, I remember getting our first microwave. Think about if you were born in 1890. By 1920, how many changes took place? I guess there's two ways to look at it, either we're living in an era that will forever be remembered as a time of massive change OR... we ain't seen anything yet. All this and I'm not even touching on the fact that we just saw the first African American voted in as President of the United States - a mere 50 years after he wouldn't have been able to drink out of the same water fountain as his Vice President elect. Crazy. Anyhow, right now, I just care about the changes and news that effects indie horror filmmakers. So, here's some shit that's going on out there...

'Hellraiser' redo in Laugier's hands on THR.com: Remember how the Weinsteins originally announced that they were going to have Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury remake Hellraiser? Then that fell through after investors saw "Inside", their latest film, and decided it was too fucked up and got worried about what they would come up with for the new Hellraiser? Granted, "Inside" WAS messed up... and awesome. Side note: if you haven't seen it, you should. That's not my point, though. My point is that they've now announced that Pascal Laugier will helm the remake, whose last film was MORE fucked up than "Inside". His film, "Martyrs", was not only compared directly to "Inside", it's been called the "new yard stick against which all forms of extreme genre films should be measured against." So, maybe the rumors that what Bustillo and Maury brought the Weinstein's were false and it was some other reason that they left the project. Maybe Laugier brought in a more friendly version, I don't know. Either way, it looks like the film is STILL in good hands. It'll be interesting to see how this does... are American audiences ready for a big budget gore flick? We'll find out soon enough.

MySpace top site for young filmgoers on Variety: Here's a shocker... filmgoers are going to Myspace to research films. Here's what surprises me... a lot of indie filmmakers do NOT use Myspace. When I'm looking into a film, there's only a few places I look. IMDB.com is one, I use Amazon.com a lot, but Myspace could be tops. It's free, it's easy and I'm surprised at how many people don't use it. If you're going to get into this whole space, you need to know how the digital world works. Please, if you're unsure or weary, go set up a basic account under a fake name, such as "Labia DeVulva" or "Fuk Yue", and just play around with it before using it. Set a few hours a week aside to learning and maintaining and you'll be surprised at how quickly you can get the word out about your film, meet other filmmakers, network and all that. Anyhow, people... please. If you're not using new media like social networking sites, please start.

Hollywood may not be recession-proof this time on LAtimes.com: Once again, what's bad for Hollywood can be good for you, the indie horror filmmaker. Okay, the article is SUPER long, but I can summarize it for you here pretty quickly. This whole recession thing is here, it's not going anywhere for a bit and when we do come out of it, it's going to be a different world. How different? Who knows... but people are going to be spending less money and doing some budgeting, that's for sure. Now, during the great depression, Hollywood and entertainment, as a whole, didn't suffer. In fact, it flourished. They found out pretty quick that people needed little escapes and entertainment MORE in times of crisis. Makes sense, right? Because of that, they've always said that Hollywood is recession-proof. Well, it's not this time around. Why? Because in 1930, they didn't have many choices, did they? Now, they do. In fact, how many of you could disconnect your cable and live off of streaming video and pirated DVDs? My bet? A lot. So, how does this help you? Well, as people turn off network television and stop going to the theaters, they're going to turn to the internet and other digital video resources... and guess what? That's where indie filmmakers should be living... So, you've got a whole new audience coming your way soon, be ready for them. And, please, give them a good deal if they want to buy something.

Vampire tale stalks FearNet on Reuters.com: This is about a music-driven vampire-themed series that will air on multiplatform horror-thriller network FearNet, written and directed by Mary Lambert. A little background on Lambert, first... she's done a ton of music videos, but she also helmed a few horror classics, including: Pet Sematary, Pet Sematary II, Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge and Urban Legends: Bloody Mary. So, she's been around the horror block a few times. What interests me is that she's a decent name attached to an innovative project and it has absolutely nothing to do with network TV or the studios... aside from the fact that FearNet.com is owned by Comcast, Sony and Lionsgate. My point is this series will only be available on the FearNet website and on the FearNet VOD network. Read my last paragraph on the recession, then this one... there's new platforms coming, folks. Make sure your project can use them!

Exclusive Interview with Jason Murphy, director of "Zombies Zombies Zombies Strippers vs. Zombies

I think it's safe to say that between Brad and myself, we see more indie-horror than your average filmgoer... granted, I've talked to a few film festival directors who may have us beat, but (and I quote Nic Cage from "Leaving Las Vegas") they do it because they HAVE to, I do it because I WANT to. Nothing like comparing a raging alcoholic and indie-horror, but I digress... Either way, having watched a lot of them, plus getting to talk to a lot of the filmmakers, you start to learn what you like, what the general fan may like and how the films may do on the market. Of course there are exceptions to every rule, but I find that a good amount of gore, a bunch of nudity and a sense of humor never hurts an indie-horror film.

That brings us to "Zombies! Zombies! Zombies! Strippers vs. Zombies" from Jason Murphy. Not only does it skillfully combine all the above mentioned elements that I love about indie-horror, it, plain and simple, kicked ass at it. If you're looking for a good time in an indie-horror film, it's a film for you. Brad had the chance to discuss the film with him and, as usual, you get a lot of insight into how he got the film made.

Tell us about your background and what made you decide to get into film making.

Well. I have pretty much wanted to make movies my whole life. I never wanted to be a firefighter or police officer or anything like that...it was always something in movies. In high school, my friends and I always made little movies and were in the "video club", and all that geeky stuff. As for what made me want to get into it...I'm not really sure. I do remember watching tons of horror movies with my Dad when I was young, and I was always fascinated by the special effects. I think that may have had something to do with it.

Film school. Yes or no?

Yes, I did go to film school, right after high school. That was more than a few years ago though. I learned a lot, and had a great time.

What are the film/directors that have had the most influence on you?

As with many aspiring filmmakers in this genre, Sam Raimi and Peter Jackson were my favorite directors back in the day. I think it is funny that these 2 horror directors have now moved up to become some of the biggest directors in Hollywood. I'm a big fan of the comedy-horror genre, and those guys always did it exceptionally well.

"Zombies! Zombies! Zombies!: Strippers VS Zombies." F'ing awesome! Where did you come up with it?

My partner Tony G. had been trying to come up with a zombie movie idea for us to make, and he and our friend Zack came up with the title "Crack Whore Zombies"...about a group of crack whores who get turned into zombies by tainted crack, and attack the local strip club. I thought that the crack whore part may turn off alot of people who we needed to help us, like the city film commission, etc..so as a temporary title, we used "Zombies Zombies Zombies" while filming. Plus, we had really pushed the script to focus on the strippers more than the crack whores anyway.

After a while, it just stuck. Plus, our distributors told us that most stores wouldn't carry the movie with "crack whore" in the title.

There's a little movie coming out starring Jenna Jameson called, "Stripper Zombies". Is there any connection?

Nope...no connection. We actually shot our movie a few months before we found out that they started shooting. We were pretty bummed actually, because once they came along, our movie lost a lot of it's hype. We are just a couple of guys who used our credit cards to make a movie...we can't compete with them...they had about 10 times as much money, bigger stars, and a huge marketing campaign budget from Sony. We just had a myspace page and maxed out credit cards.

What elements, do you feel best combine to make a great movie?

there are no elements that are definite when trying to make a great movie..."great" is a very subjective thing. What one person may love, another will hate. In general, you need a good story and characters that people either like, or hate. I just try to make a movie that is enjoyable for me, and the fans it is made for. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. There are tons of things I want to do in future movies that I wasn't able to do in my first movie.

Describe your approach to directing.

Well, on this movie my approach was a little different than normal. We shot the entire movie in 9 days, so my approach was pretty much "what do we need tot make this work and move on to the next scene?"

In general though, I think it is very important for everyone to have a good time. Everyone on the crew is important, and everyone should be having fun...otherwise, everyone will be miserable, and I think that sometimes shows in the final product.

There are some really well done gore effects in the movie. Which are you most proud of and how were they accomplished?

Most of the fx were done practical, with dummy heads and bags of blood, etc...but due to budget, we had to do some digital fx as well. Actually, "I" had to do some digital fx is more like it. I'm not sure which I would say I am most proud of...but I can say that I enjoyed getting to remove my brothers face with a weed whacker quite a bit.

What challenges were you faced with in making the film and how did you overcome them?

We had tons of challenges, mostly due to the $30,000 budget. The biggest challenge was probably dealing with all the things that happen at the last minute. We had locations drop out the day before shooting was scheduled to begin...fx that didn't work as planned...extras who didn't show up...the power got turned off a few hours before shooting one day.

When you are making a movie for this kind of budget, and on this type of schedule, you just have to be able to roll with the punches and keep the train moving. We just had to do whatever we could to make things work...which usually involved changing the script to work with what we had.

How has the distribution been going? Any tips you can give to people looking to get their movie out there?

Distribution is HARD! When I think about it....making the movie was pretty easy compared to getting distribution. Most of the big distributors turned us down due to the low-budget and the fact that Sony had such a similar themed project. We were able to sell a lot of the foreign territories ourselves though, and got our money back pretty quickly through that. For US though, it has been a struggle to get stores to put it on the shelf. Everyone seems to think that the zombie market is too saturated, so they won't take a risk picking up a low-budget zombie movie right now. We hope that when they see how well we are doing, that they will change their mind and give us a chance...but who knows. We are doing really well with online sales, and are available online with most of the big retailers like Best Buy, Circuit City, Borders, Netflix, and Blockbuster.com.

Where can people find out more about, "Zombies! Zombies! Zombies!: Strippers VS Zombies" and, better yet, buy themselves a copy?

Our website would be the best place to get the latest info, and we even have a newsletter you can sign up for. The site is ZombiesZombiesZombies.com To buy a copy, you can get it off our website (with some cool bonus items)...or you can get it from Amazon.com or other online retailers.

Exclusive Interview with "Claw", Festival Director of The Terror Film Festival

I think we can agree that horror, as a genre, kinda peaks in October... and, really, it's with good reason. We're getting into Fall, where everything dies and it's the month that's got Halloween in it... and that's a pretty scary holiday. Anyhow, on top of all that, it also has the most horror film releases and horror film festivals. So, if you're into horror, it's a pretty damned good month. Last week, alone, had at least 7 festivals and conferences going on somewhere and some of those were among the best festivals of the year. One that happened to be last week and definitely makes the cut for 'one of the best' is The Terror Film Festival in Philly.

The Terror Film Festival took place from October 21 - 25 in Philadelphia, PA this year and, really, it's one of the best, if not THE best film festival for indie horror. There's a lot that they do for you, the filmmaker, that no other festival does. However, I'm not going to tell you about it... I'm going to let "Claw", the Terror Film Festival Director tell you about it.

Please tell us a bit about yourselves… how’d you get into indie horror?

We're just indie filmmakers who love horror films (plus other genres). And we got into it by simply wanting to shoot a movie. And then another, and then another, etc. And here we are.

Tell us a bit about TFF… when and why did it get started?

It got started in 2006 because we wanted to start bringing credit and recognition to indie filmmakers in these genres. Most people don't realize it, but genre films make up most of the box office revenue in the world. They make billions of dollars.

From the perspective of the film, why should indie horror filmmakers try to get their films into festivals?

Well, I don't know much about other film festivals. We're kinda in a bubble here at TFF. We don't compete with other fests and we don't concern ourselves with how the other fests run. And we don't do it for money's sake. We're TRUE horror fans at TFF (Halloween, Candyman, Hitchcock, etc). And we run it all from our own creativity and only do what we feel is good for the filmmakers and screenwriters. I don't know what other fests offer, but I do know that our website gets a lot of traffic from them. But regardless, we bust our butts for the filmmakers and screenwriters. We honestly know every piece of their project. Plus, we've pioneered a LOT of original concepts that no other fests have ever done. Such as, we list the Submitted films and screenplays on our website with links to their websites. No one's EVER done that before. They're starting to now, but they're just copying our moves really. And we also work on getting people deals and ask for nothing in return. No percentage. No one else does that either. And then there's Princess Horror. No one else has ever had a cool, sexy spokesperson. Of course now they're springing up at other fests and horror corporations, but none of them even comes close to Princess Horror. She's one of a kind for many, many reasons. And she's not an actress trying to make it, and she's not a marketing gimmick. She's a true believer. We were the first to do all of these things, and more. So I can't really speak intelligently on why to enter other festivals. I can only tell you what we offer.

From the perspective of the filmmaker, what can I expect to get out of having my film screen at Terror Film Festival?

LOTS of exposure to the right people, unheard of and intelligent feedback on your project, a lot of caring for your project, and support in landing a deal and starting your career in the entertainment industry. We don't just screen your film, we go a lot further than that. And we do it for free.

As a horror fan, what can I expect to get out of attending Terror Film Festival?

A great time, networking and meeting industry people, a truck load of filmmaker contacts, and the best benefit of all. GREAT films to watch. We screen the best of the best. Plus, there's so many little surprises we spring on our audiences and fans. Like the whole Bruce Campbell thing this year. He doesn't do cons or fests too much anymore, but he gave us a special intro for our fest and it kicked ass at the Claw Awards! And that's another thing...the Claw Awards. No one else does that. It's truly "The Oscars of Horror". Just ask any of the people who attended this year. Some of the comments were, "You guys are completely honorable", "I was at the American Music Awards and this was BETTER", "This is the most professional event I've ever been to". And we hear it every year, all year long. People just love us because we're real. Another thing too. Alan Howarth came to our festival this year. He called me one day and insisted on coming. He's an Oscar winner, an Oscar nominee, and has scored music (and done sound) on every cool film in the last three decades. He doesn't need us. But he insisted on coming to the festival because as someone who's very cool himself, he saw the cool thing that we do. And another person came out from Bruckheimer's camp without us knowing it. Totally surprised us. That's the power of what we do.

When you’re accepting films, what are you looking for?

A great film, from every angle. It has to satisfy an intense criteria list. But that doesn't necessarily mean a huge budget or lots of celebrities. Neither of those equate to a great film. It has to be executed right. Even if it's from a famous filmmaker (which we've gotten our share of). The project has to be great or it doesn't get in. We've had many first-timers beat out seasoned pros in getting selected. And vice-versa. And it's all because of a film's true value. Plus, we have a great rating system that's unbeatable. We can actually spot a sleeper hit before anyone else does.

Does budget come into play when you’re considering films?

Not at all. It's all in the execution of the project. Some of our selections are first-time films with no budget at all. And some are big Hollywood budgets with star power. But that doesn't matter to us. Only the execution. Art for art's sake.

As a filmmaker, what can I do to make my film more festival friendly? Should I even be thinking of that?

Just make a great film. That's the only thing that matters. To Terror Film Festival, anyway. Romero even says it.

At what point in the filmmaking process should I be thinking about the festivals?

Right from the beginning. Figuring out which festivals you're wanting to submit to plays in heavy in the type of film you shoot. So does the type of distribution you're looking for. So it's never too early.

Are there any particular success stories from films that screened at TFF?

Oh, yeah. The Murder Game won Best Feature in 2006 and then got picked up by Warner Home Video. Side Sho won in 2007 and got picked up by Lionsgate. Several of our filmmakers got offers to make features. One of our screenwriters got his script optioned in Hollywood. An actress was hired to star in someone's next film. And there's a lot more successes. And we live for that.

What advice can you give to an up and coming filmmaker in the indie horror genre?

Don't let anyone interfere with your vision. Keep it pure and make the best damned movie you can. BELIEVE in your project and believe in yourself.

Tell us about the future of indie horror, where do you see it going?

Tough one. With all the digital outlets now and all the marketers out there who see a new way to make money, who knows. Only time can answer this question. I just hope it stays pure and real and doesn't get convoluted with marketing tricks and shock gimmicks. Horror and Indie Horror are my babies and I don't want to see them bastardized in any way.

What’s next for you and TFF?

The whole world is next. Everyone wants a piece of us now and we love it all. But we want to stay true and to take over the world and fill it with GREAT horror films and legends. So what's next for us? Everything!

Where can people find out more about TFF and how can they go about entering their film?

Just stop by our website, terrorfilmfestival.net, and simply read up on the submission process. Our submissions re-open on January 01 every year.