Welcome to the Nick Taylor Horror show, Episode 100!

As always, each episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show explores how today's horror filmmakers are getting their movies made while deconstructing their methods and career strategies into practical insights that you can use on your own horror filmmaking journey. This includes their creative processes, funding resources, favorite books & tools, key life lessons, and much much more.

I have a very special episode in store today, one that should put a smile on all of your faces. That's right, Parker Finn is in the house! Parker is a man who should need no introduction for us horror fans as the director behind one of this year's breakout horror hits, SMILE.

First of all, I owe an enormous thank you to my friend Joe Russo who made this interview happen. Joe, you're the best, and I thank you very, very much.

So, Parker has obviously been doing a lot of interviews recently, and I made an effort to make my questions as unique as possible. As a result, we got into a lot of the craft of SMILE, how he worked with actors, his DP and editor, and the keys to crafting effective scares. One thing we didn't get into very much was the overall origin story about how SMILE, Parker's very first feature, came to be. So I will give you the short version right here.

In 2020, after struggling as a filmmaker in Los Angeles for about 8 years, Parker made a short film called LAURA HASN'T SLEPT for roughly $30,000. LAURA HASN'T SLEPT ultimately got into SXSW, where it won the Grand Jury Award and shortly thereafter got the attention of Paramount, who offered Parker the opportunity to direct a feature adaptation which turned into SMILE. SMILE was originally intended to go straight to streaming on Paramount plus, but after a series of overwhelmingly positive audience reaction tests, SMILE was given a wide theatrical release. To date, SMILE has made over two hundred million at the box office, making it one of the highest-grossing horror movies of all time, which for a first-time director, is really fuckin cool.

For a more comprehensive deep dive into Parker's origin story, definitely check out Mick Garris' conversation with Parker on the Post Mortem podcast. I listened to that right before doing this interview to make sure we didn't cover the same ground, so the two are very complimentary if you want a fuller picture.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Parker Finn: 

Do one thing really right in your short.

Parker's short, LAURA HASN'T SLEPT, is excellent and was the catalyst that led to him getting SMILE made. You can actually watch LAURA HASN'T SLEPT on the upcoming SMILE blu ray release or for free on YouTube right now (link is in the show notes). When it comes to shorts, Parker claims that lots of filmmakers try to make their shorts do too many things when instead, focusing on doing one thing really, really effectively is what makes shorts stand out. Focusing your forces allows your shorts to go deep instead of wide, which is suitable for the short-form medium, which is intended to be a single act, a single movement, and therefore is best suited for a single focus. Parker also recommends pulling off things that are not typical or difficult to do in your shorts to show what you're capable of as a director.

Start with character and then throw their worst-case scenario at them.

Parker has spoken at length about how the scariest horror movies are most powerful when you care about the characters that the terrible things are happening to. Horror filmmakers must be effective dramatists firsts by enabling the audience to empathize with their characters. Effective horror works through empathy because if done right, your audience will experience terror through your characters. With this in mind, it's critical to ground your characters with honesty and relatability so the audience can connect with them upfront. If you fail to properly build empathy, the audience will simply observe your characters from the perspective of a detached third party which just isn't as scary as experiencing the horror through them firsthand. Next, once you figure out who your characters are and make the audiences care, design and fine-tune the horror element to be the worst-case scenario for them specifically.

Follow intuition on set and science in post.

Parker mentions that when crafting fear, he typically relies on his intuition while shooting but then applies more analytical thinking when approaching things like building tension and scares in the edit. Horror relies on a critical balance between science and intuition, left-brain and right-brain thinking. To craft fear, you need to have an inherent human understanding of what is frightening. In addition, it's important to recognize that horror is a seduction, one that relies very heavily on pacing, which is why your editor is one of your most important collaborators. Also, it's near impossible to be objective about how scary your own movie is because you're likely to be too close to it, so you may want to do what Parker did and test your scares. Parker would sit people down to watch certain scenes during the edit to observe whether they would actually get scared.

Don’t get caught up in the noise.

Parker reflects on his eight years in Hollywood and constantly hearing all manner of bad advice for filmmakers. He also observed multiple industries aimed at exploiting aspiring screenwriters with crappy resources and products. Parker considers this to be a bunch of noise and says it's important for directors to phase it out. He recommends focusing on you as an artist. What speaks to you? What are you most interested in, and what will you be able to focus obsessively over in your movies? These are typically the kinds of projects that break the most new ground because they're personal, unique, and directors care way more about them. Phasing out the noise can help you individuate your vision and films so they can stand out in the industry. These are the kinds of films that the industry needs and the kinds of films that fans prefer, and honestly, given the recent success of films like SMILE, TERRIFIER 2, and BARBARIAN, right now could not be a better time for original horror.

Episode 100 in the bag! A big huge thank you to you, dear listener. Without you and your support, this podcast would not be possible. Looks like I'll be taking a short break before coming back with season 4, but in the meantime, keep in touch and keep those cameras rolling.

Thanks again for listening to the Nick Taylor Horror Show! 

Show notes:

• Parker’s original short, LAURA HASN'T SLEPT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy3t633Q4w0
• ON WRITING by Stephen King
• SAFE, Director Todd Hanes
• ROSEMARY'S BABY. Director Roman Polanski
• CURE, Director Kiyoshi Kurosawa
• THE SHINING, Director Stanley Kubrick

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe. 

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Mark Ramsey is an audio storyteller and maker of some of my favorite podcasts, including the Inside Series, which consisted of Inside Jaws, Inside The Exorcist, and Inside Psycho. Which if you have not listened to yet, do yourself a favor and download them all; they are a treat for any horror or cinema fan. 

In collaboration with his partner and sound designer Jeff Schmidt, Mark's specialty has become making memorable, compelling, and revolutionary audio experiences that thrill, inspire, make you smile, make you gasp, and touch your heart. 

Mark's latest creation is Dark Sanctum, a spine-tingling 7-episode limited series showcasing multiple stories about things that go bump in the night. Inspired by TV classics like The Twilight Zone and Tales from the Crypt, Dark Sanctum blends captivating storytelling with Mark's signature chilling audio and sound design in Dolby Atmos to transport listeners through a twisted and memorable audio thrill ride.

He is a good friend of mine and always a very fun and exciting guy to talk to; please give it up for Mark Ramsey. 

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe. 

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Kane Senes & Hannah Barlow are the director duo behind Sissy, an Australian slasher comedy about bullying, social media, and the processing of trauma. Sissy was the opening night film of the prestigious SXSW Midnighters program and won multiple awards on the festival circuit before becoming a Shudder original. Prior to Sissy, Kane directed Echoes of War in 2015 and then For Now in 2019, which he co-directed with Hannah, making it her directorial debut. Sissy is now streaming on Shudder, so check it out. 

Here are some key takeaways from the director team Kane Senes and Hannah Barlow, directors of Sissy:

Channel fear and anxiety into your movie. Eli Roth said that he tries to ensure each movie he makes reflects a real fear of his, which is what makes his movies so personal and the fear elements of them so palpable. Kane and Hannah channeled their fear of this generation's social media angst into this movie, and it's very palpable. When you channel fears and anxieties that come from an authentic place into your movie, even as subtext, the audience is more likely able to feel it on a visceral level, which makes for great horror. 

Fight for the things that will distinguish your movie. While location scouting, the directors found the perfect house to shoot at. It was beautiful, instagrammable, furnished beautifully, and added a ton of production value - the problem was it was a two-hour drive from where they were staying, meaning they'd lose four hours every day. Despite the fact that there was a perfectly feasible but underwhelming other option nearby, they picked that house anyway, and it gave the movie a really great look. In the fog of production, amidst all the complications and endless decisions, it’s easy to say fuck it and let certain things go. Sometimes this is necessary but try to be cautious of this instinct, especially when it can cost you the things that will distinguish your movie. If you see the movie, you'll see that the house is very unique, and it gave the movie an entirely new level of production value. If you get these rare opportunities, consider taking them - they always cost something, though, so make sure it's worth it. 

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe. 

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Produced by Simpler Media

As always, each episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show explores how today's horror filmmakers are getting their movies made while deconstructing their methods and career strategies into practical insights that you can use on your own horror filmmaking journey. This includes their creative processes, funding resources, favorite books & tools, key life lessons, and much much more.

Jean Luc Herbulot is a Congolese writer & director known for Dealer (2014) and the TV show Sakho & Mangane. His most recent movie is Saloum, a Senegalese horror-thriller about a trio of mercenaries escaping the 2003 coup d'état in Guinea-Bissau before taking refuge in a hidden region on the Saloum river of Senegal only to be at the mercy of supernatural forces.

So... I think I'm going to go ahead and say this was my favorite horror movie of the year. Yes, I know, SMILE, BARBARIAN, TERRIFIER 2, etc., etc., but there was something so fresh, so unique, and so stylish and memorable about this movie, the characters, the approach to horror, everything. I was thinking about the characters for weeks afterward, and overall, I thought it was a very fine film.

There's just something very refreshing about being exposed to a culture you know very little about in the context of a horror movie that brings into the picture lesser-known supernatural legends. Africa is abundantly rich with mythology around monsters, ghosts, and demons, and Saloum dives into this while delivering a kick-ass movie. Seriously, just see it and let me know what you think.

Jean Luc is a very passionate filmmaker and was a bunch of fun to talk to. We got into the making of Saloum, how he funded it with his own money and the difficulties and benefits of shooting in Senegal. 

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Jean Luc. 

Dig in untapped mines.

Saloum was one of the freshest and most unique horror movies of the past few years. It made me realize the horror genre is getting saturated with very common western horror tropes that seem to repeat themselves. There are not a lot of African horror movies (two other really good ones are Atlantics and His House, both streaming on Netflix), but there are so many other countries, cultures, and mythologies to explore through horror. In the case of Jean Luc, there was a lot of rich African mythology to explore when crafting his supernatural horror element. Consider digging into the mythology of your own heritage for lesser-known stories that could lend themselves to horror. The genre needs it, and it's what keeps movies fresh, unique, and authentic.

Characters First.

One of the strongest elements of Saloum was the characters. They were some of the coolest I've seen outside of the Tarantino universe, and like I said, I was thinking about them for weeks afterward and would love to see them show up in more movies. Jean Luc began with the characters about ten years before finally putting pen to paper to write Saloum. As a result, they were fully developed and came from his own want for African heroes in his youth. Consider crafting your characters first and then finding a story that allows them and their identities to shine.

Work that side hustle. Jean Luc funded the majority of the movie from profits made directing and producing commercials. With a concept like Saloum, it likely would have been difficult to apply for funding so having a side career that allows you to both flex your filmmaking abilities while making money in a way you can scale up and down gives you a ton of freedom. This might not be a realistic funding strategy for everyone, but it worked for Jean Luc. Consider using your directing abilities in other profitable arenas, and you might be able to fund all or part of your movie through that.

In any case, don't forget to check out Saloum, now streaming on Shudder, and Jean Luc's tv show, Sakho & Mangane on Netflix. Thanks again for listening. 

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Produced by Simpler Media

As always, each episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show explores how today's horror filmmakers are getting their movies made while deconstructing their methods and career strategies into practical insights that you can use on your own horror filmmaking journey. This includes their creative processes, funding resources, favorite books & tools, key life lessons, and much much more.

From Well Go Entertainment, The Loneliest Boy in the World is billed as a modern fairytale—except with zombies. When the sheltered and unsocialized Oliver is tasked with making new friends after the sudden death of his mother, he decides that digging up a few corpses might be his best bet. However, when he awakens the morning after his excavating escapades, he discovers that his newly acquired friends have mysteriously come to life overnight, launching them all into a series of misadventures as they try to keep their secret safe from neighbors, classmates, and social workers alike.

So I enjoyed this movie a lot; it was super charming, funny, and surprisingly tear-jerking. It has many metaphors about bullying, tolerance, accepting people who are different and the notion of chosen family, and overall is a great example of mixing horror and heart, which I always love. 

The movie could also be described as a family-friendly version of Idle Hands and, overall, is a great recent example of modern gateway horror, which I don't think there's nearly enough of.  Despite being rated R, which I don't understand, you can totally show this one to your kids, and I recommend you do. 

Also, the production design on this movie is stellar, especially considering that they were on a budget. It has a strong nod to Edward Scissorhands as well as Hammer horror, and it's the kind of movie that looks like every production design detail was agonized over and is visually just beautiful.  

The screenplay for The Loneliest Boy in the World has been around since the 80s and somehow took decades to produce before landing in the hands of British Director Martin Owen and his team. The movie also stars Max Harwood and Hero Fiennes Tiffin, and we have them all here for you today. 

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation: 

Always play it straight. The Loneliest Boy in the World features an ensemble cast of sentient zombies, but still, the movie manages to provide a deeply moving experience. Despite the absurdity of the situation, the actors play the roles straight and take it seriously, which helps the movie reach the viewer on an emotional level. A lot of horror movies are in danger of becoming campy, which can be a kiss of death if you want any emotional resonance, the way to avoid that is to have your actors treat the material with seriousness regardless of how absurd the situation is. 

DON’T overthink it. When I asked Martin, very analytically, how he balanced the tones of horror, humor, and heart, he told me straight up that he basically just did it and didn't overthink it, and it worked... The movie has a very unique tone that's entirely its own. There are all sorts of exercises, archetypes, theories, and rules, etc., about how specific genres should be done but do we really need all of that? Yes, it's important to be aware of all of these rules, but at the end of the day, directors need to rely on their own creative intuition. Which brings me to my next point...

Learn all you can, then throw it all away. In an acting context, Max was talking about how he'd spent countless hours reviewing material for a role and then throwing it away and letting the material permeate through him naturally on the day. This concept applies to writing, directing, acting, just about any creative endeavor, and it comes down to being present and working with what's in front of you. Being over-analytical or over-attached to preconceived notions of things can be detrimental in any creative pursuit. Creative endeavors rely on presence, so learn all you can, throw it away, and let it emerge naturally. Doing this leads to more authentic, natural, ultimately more cohesive work. 

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe. 

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Kevin Lewis is the director of multiple features, including The Method, Downward Angel, The Drop, and The Third Nail. Last year, Kevin wowed the horror crowd with Willy's Wonderland starring Nicolas Cage, and now Kevin is back in the director's chair with his latest creation, The Accursed.

When Elly is asked by a family friend to spend a few days looking after an elderly woman living in a remote cabin, she readily agrees, thinking a short trip to the woods will be a nice escape, but the cabin turns out to be anything but relaxing as Elly begins hallucinating in ways that blur reality with her dreams. As the visions take over, Elly realizes that she was lured there by a demonic presence hiding inside of the woman, just waiting to break free.

I loved this movie, and it's hands-down one of my favorites of the year. The Accursed is a refreshingly, unabashedly fun horror movie that delivers fun and scares in equal measure on a Sam Raimi level. The Accursed is streaming on VOD beginning tomorrow, October 14th, and I recommend you put it toward the top of your Halloween watchlist - the first five minutes alone are worth the price of admission.

This is actually my second time speaking to Kevin, and if you haven't listened to the first episode, I actually recommend hearing this one first. This talk with Kevin turned out to be one of the most practical and inspiring conversations I've ever had on the podcast. Kevin is just such the real deal when it comes to directing and his level of enthusiasm is infectious, and he has many wise words for all of us. I really love this episode and will return to it frequently. Without further ado, here is the director of The Accursed, Mister Kevin Lewis.

Here are some key takeaways from this interview with Kevin: 

Hook them from the beginning. 

Pay close attention to the opening sequence of The Accursed, it's not only riveting, but it's a fully developed story in about five minutes. This is not only a pretty cool way to open a movie from a narrative perspective, but it's what hooked Kevin into jumping on board when he first read the script. Whether you're a writer or director, hooking the audience in the first five minutes can be very powerful, especially in horror. I really recommend studying the opening sequence of The Accursed in this context as it's a masterful example.

Know what’s important. 

In his years of directing, Kevin has learned that one of the most important skills a good director has is understanding where to invest in each movie, not just money but time, effort, energy, and focus.  When making movies, you likely won’t nail every ambition you have with each film, but you need to take an inventory of what’s most important for each individual movie and its production value and then prioritize those things above all else, especially when you're on a budget. To not do that makes you subject to being spread too thin and your movie being flat. If you get just a few things really right on your movie, your audience will likely forgive just about everything else, but it's important to know what those things are that will make the most impact. There's that saying if you chase two rabbits, you won't catch either one. Don't try to nail everything on every movie; figure out what's most important and focus obsessively on those things.

Live your life. 

When it comes to a career in filmmaking, living a fulfilling and interesting life is important, not only for the sake of your creativity but for the sake of your longevity. As Kevin stated, the movie industry is tough and ruthless, and if you let it rule your life, it will run you into the ground and burn you out. At age 51, Kevin is having his heyday with a killer one-two punch between Willy's Wonderland and now The Accursed and multiple more movies on the way. Kevin is also a father of four and has lived his life his own way without letting the industry wear him into the ground. In other words, he didn't feel the need to sell his soul to Hollywood and sacrifice what mattered to him most, and I think this is a huge lesson.

Clearly, it's critical to be obsessively dedicated to your filmmaking craft, but detaching from this grueling industry will not only re-energize you but make you less desperate and more likely for your mind to be open and objective enough to put your best work into your project.

Anyway, thank you as always for listening - if you want to hear more from Kevin, go back and check out Episode 72, which is way more comprehensive about Kevin's backstory and the making of Willy's Wonderland. Also, don't forget to check out The Accursed, streaming on VOD, beginning tomorrow - you will not be disappointed. 

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe. 

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Deadstream is the feature directorial debut from husband-and-wife filmmaking team Vanessa and Joseph Winter that follows a disgraced internet personality who attempts to win back his followers by livestreaming one night alone in a haunted house. But when he accidentally pisses off a vengeful spirit, his big comeback event becomes a real-time fight for his life.

Deadstream was a ton of fun. As a horror comedy, I was laughing pretty much throughout the course of this film which was legitimately, consistently funny. The movie even manages to pull off some legitimate scares with a surprisingly well-developed ghost story at its core. Deadstream was a sort of new breed of found footage that could be best described as livestream horror and was shot with a notably clever use of multi-cams to tell its story. All of that, plus a solid amount of gore and some very fun creature effect made Deadstream one of my favorites of the year. Don't forget to check Deadstream out on Shudder when it comes out tomorrow, October 14th.

This was a really fun conversation with Joseph and Vanessa as we got into how they got Deadstream off the ground during the beginning of the pandemic, their very insightful festival strategy, and real ghost stories about their production, which shot at an actual abandoned haunted house.

And now, please give it up for the writers and directors of Deadstream, Vanessa and Joseph Winter.

Filmmaking is the best film school.

Deciding to make your first film is one thing, but deciding what to make your first film on is a recipe for analysis paralysis, which is dangerous because it can last for an endless amount of time. However, approaching your first movie as strictly educational can be incredibly liberating. Joseph and Vanessa knew they wanted to make a feature and were able to offshoot a lot of concerns about things like the movie's financial success because they viewed the movie as a learning experience and a way to get a crucial skills that would serve them throughout the course of their careers. In the end, they learned a ton and delivered a kick-ass movie in the process. Coincidentally, offloading all of these concerns about your film can even contribute to the likelihood of your success as you're more likely to be creatively freed up to give your movie the energy and attention it deserves because you're putting less pressure on yourself.

Don’t sell yourself short. 

It's incredibly easy to be too humble about your first feature. When they first started submitting to festivals, Vanessa and Joseph got some initial acceptances from smaller festivals and were understandably overjoyed. One of their associates recommended they submit to some bigger festivals, which would have meant withdrawing from the festivals they were accepted by. They were scared by this decision but did it anyway. In the end, the film got into multiple big festivals, including SXSW, ultimately leading to a deal with Shudder. Despite working extremely hard for years and putting everything they have into it, many filmmakers will still sell themselves short on their first feature as it's easy to be insecure about your lack of experience. Difficult as it may be, try to avoid this trap as there's usually very little harm in aiming too high while aiming too low can doom your movie to a smaller existence.

Create test screenings with peers. 

Everyone knows that when working on your own movie, it's nearly impossible to be completely objective about it by yourself because you're way too close to it. One of the best ways to get real feedback in real time is to have an in-person peer screening. In-person screenings are way more effective than sending people screening links and asking for feedback because they're less likely to be completely honest with you, and you cannot observe them directly. Observing the collective reactions of a shared audience is an excellent tool to understand things like pacing and where the laughs & scares are and aren't. Doing so enables you to have this sense of audience empathy so you can see what works and doesn't work about your movie from the audience's perspective to inform your next edit. Another note, it's best to put these together yourself, as most of the test screenings orchestrated by studios and film companies can be full of the wrong people who can give you unhelpful feedback. Joseph and Vanessa kept their test screening to about 30 people, which seems like a magic number.

Anyway, guys, don't forget to check out Deadstream streaming on Shudder beginning October 14th - it is a ton of fun and a perfect way to ring in Halloween season. Annnd if you enjoyed this episode, why not share it with your filmmaking buddies on social media? Don't forget to subscribe today to hear new episodes right when they drop, and thank you again for listening to The Nick Taylor Horror Show.

Resources Mentioned

• But What I Really Want to Do is Direct by By Ken Kwapis (NOT TO BE CONFUSED by What I Really Want to Do is Direct by Billy Frolick)

• Sceneclopedia Horror: Every Scene of 25 Horror Films

• Osmo Pocket Camera 4K

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Chris von Hoffmann is the writer/director behind multiple features including Drifter, Monster Party, and most recently, Devil's Workshop.

In Devil’s Workshop, Clayton a struggling actor is desperate for a role as a demonologist. But he has hostile competition with his long-time rival, Donald. Determined to get the role at all costs, he contacts Eliza, an expert in demon lore, to help him prepare. Spending the weekend at her home, Eliza forces Clayton to confront his troubling past through the practice of dark rituals. Does she want to help Clayton, seduce him – or destroy him? The shocking climax will set your soul ablaze. The movie stars Timothy Granaderos and Radha Mitchell with Emile Hirsch as well.

So I actually worked on Devil's Workshop as Associate Producer AND, I am actually in the film. That's right, you can see yours truly acting, or at least trying to act, in the first and last scenes of the movie. So check me out. Devil's Workshop is available on VOD and select theatres September 30th so check your local showtimes.

In any case, I enjoyed the hell out of this conversation with Chris and hope you do too. 

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Chris von Hoffman.

Nobody's going to make your movie but you. Chris has directed three features, and he's likened the process of getting a movie made to pushing a boulder up a hill by yourself. Every single time. He realized early on, that nobody will ever want to make his movies more than he does, and therefore, the entire fate of the movie is on him, ALWAYS. It's your responsibility to push your movies forward, not your producer, you. Movies can evaporate so quickly; things fall through, people forget to get back to you, funds suddenly become unavailable, it's endless. You need to assume extreme responsibility and ownership for the fate of your movie because nobody will make it happen other than you there are many forces against you.

Have zero tolerance for unprofessionalism. When asked about remaining calm on set and managing his crew during difficult times, Chris mentioned that he is generally patient but has no tolerance for for blatant unprofessionalism, and I think this is a really good rule. As a director, there's a fine line between being a dictator and being a pushover. You want your crew to respect you, but if you bark orders at them and/or yell a lot, they will lose respect for you. But too much leeway and turning a blind eye can also be problematic. This is a fine balance, and a key to it is to refuse any blatantly unprofessional behavior. What is unprofessional behavior on set? You'll know it when you experience it. Movie making is chaos, and people are typically (hopefully) trying to do their best work possible, so be as patient as you can, but refuse to tolerate unprofessionalism.

You are going to catch heat, no matter what. As I mentioned in the interview, Guillermo Del Toro once likened film directing to eating a shit sandwich but with each movie you get a little bit more bread. No matter what, movie making is a game of taking a lot of shit and a lot of heat from multiple people. Arguably, films entail more decisions than just about any conceivable type of project, and people have no shortage of opinions, both creatively and professionally and people also have no shortage of judgement. Between your investors, producers, cast crew, no matter how good a job you think you're doing, you're gonna catch heat for something and be under a lot of constant scrutiny throughout the course of making your films. So get used to being in the hot seat and being comfortable being uncomfortable. But, also remember, it gets a little bit better with each movie you make.

Thank you guys for listening, don't forget to check out Devil's Workshop, available from Lionsgate on VOD and in select theaters starting tomorrow, September 30th.

Til next time, don't forget to subscribe, and thanks again for listening to the Nick Taylor Horror Show.

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Produced by Simpler Media

Chris von Hoffmann is the writer/director behind multiple features including Drifter, Monster Party, and most recently, Devil's Workshop.

In Devil’s Workshop, Clayton a struggling actor is desperate for a role as a demonologist. But he has hostile competition with his long-time rival, Donald. Determined to get the role at all costs, he contacts Eliza, an expert in demon lore, to help him prepare. Spending the weekend at her home, Eliza forces Clayton to confront his troubling past through the practice of dark rituals. Does she want to help Clayton, seduce him – or destroy him? The shocking climax will set your soul ablaze. The movie stars Timothy Granaderos and Radha Mitchell with Emile Hirsch as well.

So I actually worked on Devil's Workshop as Associate Producer AND, I am actually in the film. That's right, you can see yours truly acting, or at least trying to act, in the first and last scenes of the movie. So check me out. Devil's Workshop is available on VOD and select theatres September 30th so check your local showtimes.

In any case, I enjoyed the hell out of this conversation with Chris and hope you do too. Please give it up for writer/director, Chris von Hoffman.

Nobody's going to make your movie but you. Chris has directed three features, and he's likened the process of getting a movie made to pushing a boulder up a hill by yourself. Every single time. He realized early on, that nobody will ever want to make his movies more than he does, and therefore, the entire fate of the movie is on him, ALWAYS. It's your responsibility to push your movies forward, not your producer, you. Movies can evaporate so quickly; things fall through, people forget to get back to you, funds suddenly become unavailable, it's endless. You need to assume extreme responsibility and ownership for the fate of your movie because nobody will make it happen other than you there are many forces against you.

Have zero tolerance for unprofessionalism. When asked about remaining calm on set and managing his crew during difficult times, Chris mentioned that he is generally patient but has no tolerance for for blatant unprofessionalism, and I think this is a really good rule. As a director, there's a fine line between being a dictator and being a pushover. You want your crew to respect you, but if you bark orders at them and/or yell a lot, they will lose respect for you. But too much leeway and turning a blind eye can also be problematic. This is a fine balance, and a key to it is to refuse any blatantly unprofessional behavior. What is unprofessional behavior on set? You'll know it when you experience it. Movie making is chaos, and people are typically (hopefully) trying to do their best work possible, so be as patient as you can, but refuse to tolerate unprofessionalism.

You are going to catch heat, no matter what. As I mentioned in the interview, Guillermo Del Toro once likened film directing to eating a shit sandwich but with each movie you get a little bit more bread. No matter what, movie making is a game of taking a lot of shit and a lot of heat from multiple people. Arguably, films entail more decisions than just about any conceivable type of project, and people have no shortage of opinions, both creatively and professionally and people also have no shortage of judgement. Between your investors, producers, cast crew, no matter how good a job you think you're doing, you're gonna catch heat for something and be under a lot of constant scrutiny throughout the course of making your films. So get used to being in the hot seat and being comfortable being uncomfortable. But, also remember, it gets a little bit better with each movie you make.

Thank you guys for listening, don't forget to check out Devil's Workshop, available from Lionsgate on VOD and in select theaters starting tomorrow, September 30th.

Til next time, don't forget to subscribe, and thanks again for listening to the Nick Taylor Horror Show.

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Conor Boru & Ed Hartland are the writer/director duo behind When the Screaming Starts, a serial killer mockumentary that's somewhere between What We Do in the Shadows and Man Bites Dog.

Aidan aspires to be an infamous serial killer, and when Norman, a struggling journalist, is invited to follow him on his journey to create a Manson-esque murder cult that embarks on a blood-soaked rampage, Norman’s dream of becoming a renowned filmmaker may have just turned into a nightmare. With laughs and shocks in equal measure, When the Screaming Starts marks Conor's feature directorial debut and is streaming exclusively on Screambox.

This was a very fun interview. Conor and Ed are friends who have been working together for a long time and were finally able to come together on this movie. This is a great series of lessons on first-time feature filmmaking, balancing horror and comedy, and activating a shared mission amongst your cast and crew. Please enjoy this conversation with Conor Boru & Ed Hartland, creators of When the Screaming Starts. 

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Ed and Conor. 

Make the film you can make RIGHT NOW. Ed and Conor have been working in film for years and were dying to make a feature together. They realized that one of the most feasible sub-genres they could make a movie in, given time, money, and immediate access, was a mockumentary, so that's what they made. They wrote the movie based on what they knew they'd be able to do immediately. A common pitfall for many would-be directors is writing overly-elaborate, multi-million dollar scripts and putting all your chips on those when more often than not, directors get their start with micro-budgets. If you're a first-timer, it's unlikely you're going to get millions to make your first feature. Now, it happens, but while you're waiting on that miracle, you could be shooting something and getting crucial feature experience right now. Make the movie you can make today.

Make it a collective effort. Ed and Conor mentioned that a lot of their cast not only worked for free but actually invested money in the movie. This is pretty amazing and definitely unheard of. Conor even mentioned that unions in the UK are different from the US, but the point is still clear; they turned their movie into an asset and an opportunity for their collaborators; something they could be proud of that shows what they're capable of. For the actors, he gave them a lot of screen time and leeway to do what they wanted so the movie could act as a calling card for future project and help their careers. This is a very business-like mindset, but it's this kind of communal, mission-driven sensibility can enable you to take your move a lot further - when you and your cast all stand to gain from the movie in equal measure, you will all be rowing in the same direction. Of course, you have got to make it worth their while. Jason Blum typically does a great job of this as well.

Harness the power of momentum. Making a movie requires a debilitating amount of decisions to be made, details to be coordinated, and endless opportunities for analysis paralysis. Ed and Conor had their idea for the movie but didn't wait for things to be perfect before they started making plans. It's critical that you start taking action, making decisions, and scheduling dates for your projects - even if they're arbitrary or temporary. Once you have tangible dates and deadlines, things start to move because the movie suddenly becomes real to you and your collaborators. Find a way to get the snowball rolling so it gains momentum by any means necessary. You'll likely have to reschedule countless times, but just get it started and build momentum til the finish line.

Thanks for listening, and don't forget to check out When the Screaming Starts, exclusively streaming on Screambox. 

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Beetlejuice will forever hold a very special place in my heart. Every Saturday morning, Beetlejuice was my go-to cartoon, and my VHS of the movie practically melted from being watched so much. I had the action figures, the soundtrack, and the Halloween costume (as a child and as an adult). It wasn’t only my quintessential gateway horror movie, but it also shaped a lifelong unapologetic appreciation for all things weird and macabre. The movie had a “lightning in a bottle” combination of a devilishly rebellious spirit and a singularity of vision that introduced the world to the wonders of Tim Burton. It was and forever will be an iconic and magical movie and a very important part of me. 

The movie is just as sacred to countless others for all of the same reasons, which is likely why the Beetlejuice sequels and remakes have remained in production hell for decades. How can you possibly reimagine a classic that means so much to so many people? The answer: turn it into a musical.

Despite being a little apprehensive at first, what struck me within the first ten minutes of Beetlejuice: the Musical was that it was developed with a tremendous amount of love and respect for the original movie. The show encompasses all of the many facets of what made the movie so great while expanding on the story in very inventive ways. It even has several nods to the cartoon, which just made me happy.

This is a killer show, and I urge you to go see it if you're in the New York area. The costumes, the music, the humor, and the insanely elaborate Burtonesque sets and visuals are an overwhelming and blissful experience for fans of the original, plus the anarchistic spirit of lewdness and rudeness from the movie is retained in full force. The show will be on tour beginning in December so if you can't make it to New York, check and see if it's coming your way at: beetlejuicebroadway.com/tour.

The show is ignited by the performance of Alex Brightman as Beetlejuice. Alex Brightman is an actor, singer, and two-time Tony Award Nominated Actor. He was nominated for his roles on Broadway as Dewey Finn in the musical adaptation of School of Rock and as the title character in Beetlejuice the Musical. After shuttering due to COVID, Beetlejuice is back on Broadway. We sat down with Alex to catch up on what the experience was like as well as how he created his take on the iconic & beloved character of Beetlejuice. Please enjoy this interview with Alex Brightman. 

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Pablo Parés is an Argentinian filmmaker who's worked on over 15 movies as director or producer. His films include I am Toxic, Plaga Zombie, and Damonium: Soldier of the Underworld. His latest feature Pussycake is a rollicking good time. It's been called Josie and the Pussycats meets Evil Dead, and it delivers on that promise. 

The movie mixes equal parts Peter Jackson zombie insanity with creature effects and tons of blood, guts, and vomit along the way. The movie is very stimulating visually and punches way above its weight as a low-budget feature. You can stream Pussycake right now on Screambox. 

Pablo was a lot of fun to talk to. We got into his director origin story, the background on how he got Pussycake off the ground, and the infrastructure of filmmakers he's built that allows him to consistently make the movies he wants to make without any studio interference. 

Without further ado, here is the mind behind Pussycake, Pablo Parés. 

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Pablo. 

Think infrastructure. Pablo has a group of people who he's been making movies with for years. Most of them do a ton of different jobs, but they have similar tastes and the same mission, so every time they're ready to make a movie, they can lock and load and get it made because they not only have a shorthand working relationship with each other but they have an infrastructure.

Also, every time they sell one movie, they use those funds to make the next movie. This is a self-sustaining, self-feeding ecosystem that ultimately allows Pablo and his team to do what they want. It took him a long time to create, but it’s never too late to start nourishing your own filmmaking collective and your own infrastructure. Regardless, it's important to build relationships with people who want to make the same kind of crazy shit that you do. 

Lean into limitations. On Pablo‘s previous movie, I am Toxic, he couldn’t afford contact lenses for his zombie eyes, so he created a type of zombies that were so dry they didn't have eyes. This gave them a very cool aesthetic comparable to Lucio Fulci's Zombie - this is the approach he took throughout the movie, which allowed him to make a post-apocalyptic wasteland on an extremely low budget. This is an example of a filmmaker working with his budget as opposed to against it. When you work with your budget, your movie feels a lot more cohesive, intentional, and you can get away with so much more to serve your production value. 

Make everything intentional. Pablo said that he notices a lot of monotony in newer horror movies that look the same and have the same tone, which is absolutely true. He went on to say that lot of filmmakers don’t even think about distinguishing the look and feel of their films which is causing these movies to become homogenized and all feel very similar. As a director, every choice you make in a movie should have an intention behind it, nothing should be happenstance. Don't get too precious, and don't be a dictator, but realize that your job as a director is to direct, every single last detail. Jordan Peele does an exquisite job of this, as did Stanley Kubrick. Clearly, these are huge directors, but if you look at Pablo's work on Pussycake, he was able to do so much on a low budget, and his movie, his characters, and their costumes all had an iconic feel to them because he labored over each detail and made them his own. 

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe. 

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John Adams, Lulu Adams, Zelda Adams, and Toby Poser are a family who write, produce, star in, and edit all of their films themselves. Together they've produced multiple features, including KNUCKLE JACK, RUMBLESTRIPS, THE HATRED, THE DEEPER YOU DIG, and most recently HELLBENDER which you can watch right now on Shudder on The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs. 

With HELLBENDER, the family shot the movie around the country during the pandemic using gear they bought themselves. The Adams Family is one of the most self-sufficient filmmaking outfits I've ever seen. They make all of their movies entirely on their own and don't rely on any traditional studio ecosystems whatsoever. 

As filmmakers, they do a particularly beautiful job of leaning into their relatively low budgets by making very singular and unique movies where every detail feels intentional. This is a testament to one of their greatest strengths as filmmakers, which is their resourcefulness. This conversation is a great lesson in economic filmmaking and low-budget features that don't feel low budget because the filmmakers embraced what they had access to.

I really loved this conversation; the Adams Family are a bunch of very enthusiastic, inspiring, and passionate filmmakers with a lot to teach all of us.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with The Adams Family.

Just do it. Toby, Lulu, Zelda, and John write, direct, act in, edit, color correct, and score all of their movies themselves. From the beginning, they didn't wait for permission or approval or for a deal; but instead, they took an inventory of what they had access to and wrote and produced movies around that. A lot of would-be filmmakers tend to have these big elaborate plans and expensive concepts for scripts that require lots of money and collaborators when sometimes the best way to get something off the ground is by using what is right in front of you and crafting a movie around that. Robert Rodriguez speaks extensively about this very concept in his book, REBEL WITHOUT A CREW, which is a must-read for any filmmaker.

Use mother nature as your DP. There is a naturally beautiful aesthetic that comes with using natural light as well as a more grounded production design. (See Robert Eggers' THE WITCH). And, despite its obvious limitations, natural light is free. The Adams Family cites mother nature as their best DP and recommends not fighting against whatever nature gives you but embracing it and working with it, and using it to serve your movie. As a result, their movies have a gritty and very natural beauty to them, which gives them a very recognizable aesthetic.

Channel your current state into your writing. After a family crisis, Toby was going through a very difficult time period when writing the script for THE DEEPER YOU DIG. She ended up channeling her feelings into her writing, and the experience was not only cathartic, but her emotions were palpable in the movie itself. The Deeper You Dig has moments that are so chilling and get so deep under your skin, and it's clear that the movie's power comes from Toby's real and raw emotion. Even Quentin Tarantino stated that if you're not putting your current emotions into your writing, you're doing it wrong.

Thanks as always for listening, don't forget to subscribe. 

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Hugues Barbier, Justin Timms, and Joe Yanick are the trio behind Yellow Veil, a NY/LA-based worldwide film sales and distribution company with a focus on horror and boundary-pushing genre cinema. Their slate includes Luz, I Trapped the Devil, Blood Quantum, The Cleansing Hour, Hellbender, Depraved, Sator, and most recently, Gaspar Noe's Lvx Æterna. 

In this conversation, Hugues, Justin, and Joe get into how they came together as a company, keys to successfully producing boundary-pushing indie movies, and what they look for in the movies they produce. Without further ado, please enjoy this conversation with Yellow Veil. 

Here are some key takeaways from this interview. 

Unanimous love is a must. As a company, the guys have different tastes, but the DNA of their slate requires a mutual love of every movie they put out. Producing movies is grueling, lengthy, complicated, and backbreaking work. If you're not all in and don't have passion to make it through the tough times, you're simply not going to pull your weight. Because of this, Hughes, Joe, and Justin all agreed that they need to all love each movie they work on as their mutual passion will motivate them to push each movie through and forward to completion. 

Trust your gut. When selecting movies, Hughes, Joe, and Justin don't use any Moneyball metrics or read Hollywood Reporter headlines to see what's popular and then make films based on perceived audience interest or what's considered hot right now. Instead, they trust their gut. If they see a movie that's totally off the wall and unlike anything they've ever seen, they rely on an intangible intuitive gut feeling to tell them whether or not to pull the trigger on it. The danger of always relying on data and proven formulas is you'll ultimately make derivative movies. However, it's still important to see everything and be aware of what's popular. In the 80s, Brian Yuzna and Stuart Gordon binge-watched every single horror movie that came out in the previous two years. They didn't do it to see what was popular and then make movies based on the same things. No, instead, they wanted to see what audiences were seeing so they could deliver something completely fresh and different instead of a copycat or coattail riding film, and as a result, they came up with Reanimator. All of this comes down to gut instinct, not what's trendy. 

Support first-timers. All you first-timers, listen up, Yellowveil loves working with first-time directors. They claim that there’s a blissful ignorance of what you’re allowed to do and not allowed to do, which makes many first films very exciting and different.  Embrace that in yourself. Don’t try to make your movie fit into a box - the public needs to see your unique raw vision in a way that hasn’t been tampered with. So all of you who are insecure about your lack of experience can rest assured that this insecurity could very well be your greatest strength as a director. 

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe. 

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Hello dear listeners, Nick Taylor here - I apologize for my unannounced recent absence. Many of you have been extremely sweet online, talking about how much you miss the show and wondering when new episodes will be dropping, and I am very, very humbled and appreciative of every one of you. Here to announce that the show will be returning on September first! We got some great guests coming up, so please stay tuned, and thank you as always for listening. 

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DJ Dodd is a Philadelphia-based producer of over 20 feature films and has also produced and developed television content for many major cable networks including Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Food Network, Travel Channel, Nat Geo, History Channel, and Bloomberg, among others.

In this wide-ranging conversation, we get into DJ's backstory, his mentorship relationship with David Foster, his approach to casting major celebrities, and insights on how he's able to manage such an enormous amount of projects. Tons of insights here, DJ really is a guy who walks the walk as far as Producing and hustling, and I was super inspired speaking with him and think you will be as well. Without further ado, here is DJ Dodd. 

Here are some key takeaways from this interview. 

• Overshoot with casting. When casting a movie, DJ always aims for the moon and attempts to cast actors way outside of the project's league. Though he doesn't always get them, sometimes he does. For this reason, DJ prefers to avoid casting directors, citing that many of them are too cautious and "realistic." DJ has no problem reaching out to megawatt celebrities himself and, as a result, has had many pleasant surprises leading him to have worked with a number of major actors, including Ethan Hawke, John Cusack, John Malkovich, David Spade, Emile Hirsch, Jessica Lange, Shirley MacLaine, Demi Moore, Bruce Dern, James Earl Jones, Sharon Stone, Jeremy Piven, Courteney Cox, Christina Ricci, Mira Sorvino, Selma Blair, Taye Diggs, and George Lopez to name a few. PS, if you are looking for a casting agent who's not afraid to shoot for the moon with you, reach out to David Guglielmo at Blood Oath - that's David Guglielmo. 

• Producers solve problems. A lot of people asks what a Producer does, and in addition to the myriad of responsibilities, they basically oversee the big picture of the project and bring the many pieces together while ensuring everything moves forward on time and on budget. All of that, AND they solve problems. DJ tells many stories about how Producers need to be the ones who solve problems as they arise on set. This ability to think on your feet is critical to producing as problems will inevitably arise on set, and you'll need a sense of cunning ingenuity to solve and push through them. For more on this, check out the life stories of both Jerry Weintraub and Shep Gordon. Both of these guys have wonderful documentaries about them and autobiographies - I recommend reading and watching both as they're masterclasses in producing. I actually had Shep Gordon on this show and highly recommend that episode. 

• Don’t wait to be discovered - bang on doors. A lot of would-be producers and filmmakers wait to be discovered - this is waiting in vain. At the beginning of his career, DJ spent all of his free time hustling, from cold emailing producers, packaging hypothetical projects, building his network, and pitching his ass off, all the time. The game of numbers ultimately worked in his favor, and he got his foot in the door, and after fortifying his mettle on movie after movie, he has since Produced over 20 projects all because he never stopped seeking out and actively pushing opportunities forward. Had he waited to be discovered, he'd still be waiting.

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe. 

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Randall Okita is a Japanese Canadian director and artist. His latest movie is the new IFC Midnight thriller, See for Me. See for Me is about a young blind woman, house-sitting at a secluded mansion, who finds herself under invasion by thieves seeking a hidden safe. Her only means of defense is a new app called “See For Me” that connects her to a volunteer across the country who helps her survive by seeing on her behalf through her phone. See for Me is now available on-demand and super entertaining, beautifully directed, and of the many fantastic performances, features one of my personal favorite actors of all time, Kim Coates. Really enjoyed this interview with Randall; we got into the making of See for Me, his director origin story, and as always, his advice for aspiring filmmakers. Now without further ado, here is See for Me Director, Randall Okita.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Randall. 

Communicate with Music. One of the ways that Randall is able to articulate the tone and trajectory of specific scenes is by selecting songs and pieces of music indicative of what he has in his head. So many elements of cinema are nuanced to the point where they're hard to communicate with words. Sometimes you need another medium to convey the intangible details of your vision and music can be a great tool for this because it evokes very specific feelings. Randall uses music during the planning, filming, and editing of his movies and even plays certain tracks for actors to inform their performances.

Find people at the right time. Randall is one of those directors who were able to get extremely high production value and excellent performances from a relatively low budget. Randall cites that a key to doing this well is finding people at certain moments in their career when they're in a position to extend themselves. This is a matter of finding people at JUST THE RIGHT MOMENT when their career is about to take off when your project can offer them a stepping stone to get to where they want to be. This is a great way to give people killer opportunities while also increasing the production value of your own film on a budget. Part of this is hiring people based on ability as opposed to experience, and it definitely has its risks, but when it works, it can be a great exchange.

Cast relevantly. The protagonist of See for Me is a young blind woman, and Randall made sure that he cast someone who was actually visually impaired to play the role - this choice made all the difference. Even though it's a hot topic, casting for relevance isn't necessarily even a matter of social good as much as it's a means to bring real authenticity to your performances and, therefore, deeper realism to your movie. As a result of personal experience with becoming blind in adulthood, lead actor Skyler Davenport brought a level of reality to the role and was able to channel actual experiences. This extended beyond the performance and into many other choices made on the film that were directly informed by Skyler's true-life experience, all of which served the movie's realism.

Thanks as always for listening, don't forget to subscribe. 

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Jim Cummings is an American actor and filmmaker. He started his career in 2016 with the short film Thunder Road, which he extended into a 2018 feature film of the same name. You probably know him best for The Wolf of Snow Hollow, which he wrote, directed, and starred in. Wolf of Snow Hollow was one of my favorite films of 2020 and was the last performance of the dearly departed Robert Forster.

Jim's latest movie is The Beta Test, a dark comedy thriller about a hapless young man who unwillingly makes a sex pact and is thrown into a dark underworld of intrigue. Beta Test is super intriguing and surprisingly funny. Jim carries the entire movie hilariously, no pun intended, reminds me of a young Jim Carrey. He's a super interesting recent addition to the horror world, and I can't wait to see what he does next.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Jim Cummings.

• Keep hustling. Jim wrote his first film, the short for THUNDER ROAD, on the commute to his job, and it got into Sundance and won. A lot of would-be filmmakers somehow feel the need to do something extreme, like quit their job before they give themselves the permission and validation to embark on their movie-making career. This isn't always viable or sustainable, and there are many cases of filmmakers with day jobs who get their first movies made while they're doing something else, and that's ok. What matters is that you're consistently pursuing it.  There's a metaphor about two trains, where you're on one train that represents your current job, and adjacent to you is the train that you'd rather be on, representing your real passion. The more fuel you shovel into that other train, the faster it will catch up to the train you're on, and once it does, you'll know when to jump.

• Number 2, a natural extension after number 1, even when you get signed, still, KEEP HUSTLING! After Jim's short won at Sundance, he got signed at the very prestigious agency WME - it seemed he had arrived, but after doing a waterbottle tour all over Hollywood, talking to many producers and studios, he had no offers. Unfortunately, this is the rule and not the exception for many directors who are signed, even to major agencies - you can enter a desert and waste years at a time just sitting on your hands waiting for your agency to bring you something. I've heard of this happening to more filmmakers than I'd care to admit. Once you're signed, it's critical that you keep that indie spirit going and get your projects made. Typically agencies make a cut of the total budget of a project, so they're usually less interested in pursuing smaller budgeted indies; that's ok; you don't always need them. Despite being signed with WME, Jim bootstrapped, kickstarted, and then equity-funded his first feature, cobbling together about $200k. Only after making that movie did Hollywood really come knocking, and he was able to make Wolf of Snow Hollow for a couple million dollars. The lesson here is to never rest on your laurels and to keep pushing your movies forward with or without your agency.

• Find a way to pre-visualize pre-experience the tone and trajectory of your movie.  Jim and his writing partner PJ do a fascinating thing with their scripts prior to shooting - they will perform the entire script, record it, score it then listen to it to see where the lulls are and what could be better. This is pretty brilliant as a way to kick the tires on your own material because sometimes you need to hear the material performed, or even perform it yourself, to know what it needs to work. Sometimes he'll rent a cabin with his friends and make an event out of it. When you're deep in the trenches of your screenplay, you'll likely get tired of reading & re-reading the same material and lose objectivity - instead, find a way to bring it to a new platform. This can counter your screenplay fatigue while bringing a whole new perspective to your project.

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe. 

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Ryan Kruger is a South African writer and director who burst on the scene last year with his feature debut Fried Barry. Fried Barry is completely bonkers in the most wonderful way. It's about a drug-addled man in Johannesburg who gets abducted by aliens. The aliens take full control of his body and we watch the title character Barry go through one insane drug-fueled and blood-soaked adventure after another under their control. It's a blast and was featured on The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs (which is unarguably the best way to watch it). This movie is one of the most original films to come out of horror in recent years which is why I was so excited to speak to Ryan. He has a lot to say on the topic of originality, true indie filmmaking, and how to market your projects. Without further ado here is Fried Barry Director, Ryan Kruger. 

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Ryan Kruger:

1. You don’t have to film in a straight line. Instead of production taking place through a designated timeline, Fried Barry was filmed on and off over the course of a few years. Sometimes, this is what you have to do for budgetary and scheduling purposes and there's nothing wrong with that. Even if you don't have your movie fully funded, start filming it. Investors are way more likely to jump on board once the train has left the station and they see that you're making tangible progress. See my conversation with William Lustig for more on this. If your production needs to start and stop, so be it, but make sure your cast and crew is aware of this and down for the ride, if only for continuity purposes. The other benefit of filming in stops and starts is it allows you as a director to evaluate your movie more deeply than you could have by just reviewing dailies at the end of a shoot day. Instead, as was the case of Ryan, he was able to sit with what he'd filmed for months at a time, and ruminate over it so he could make adjustments as he moved forward.
2. Become a master marketer. Some filmmakers think that a movie's success will be based on its quality and merit. While both those things are critically important, your movie won't have an impact if people don't see it - therefore, you need to have a marketing plan and learn to promote the shit out of your film. This was something that Ryan was naturally very good at from the beginning. When promoting Fried Barry, he didn't do so through marketing traditional channels like media, interviews, etc. Instead, Ryan did off the wall things like making Fried Barry condoms and a relentless series of memes that featured the main character so that he could build recognition of his face on the internet. Traditional marketing channels for films are crowded and often leave you fighting for scraps of attention. Even if you can get your indie movie mentioned on Deadline, it'll soon be buried with news of higher budgeted projects and lost in obscurity. Instead, you need to come up with intelligent, creative, and disruptive marketing ideas that people will talk about. Listen to my interview with Shep Gordon for more of this, or just watch his incredible documentary Supermensch.
3. Make polarizing work. Love it or hate it, Fried Barry cannot be ignored. It is so over the top and such a specific, hyper-individual vision that only Ryan could have made. These kinds of movies can be difficult to get approved, but they're a surefire way to get people oriented with your sensibility as a director - see Greasy Strangler for more on this. As Quentin Tarantino said, and I'm definitely paraphrasing, you should only make the kinds of movies that you were born to make, movies that only you would be capable of making instead of things that could be easily be done by someone else. 

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe. 

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Zak Hilditch is an Australian writer and director primarily known for the Netflix hits, Rattlesnake, and 1922, based on the Stephen King novella. Zak's earlier films include Transmission and These Final Hours. Zak is a very exciting director and has a very inspiring origin story, along with some great advice for pitching producers. I took a lot of notes from this conversation and hope you enjoy it.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Zak Hilditch.

1. Make your feature 8 shorts in rapid succession. Hopefully, by now, you've read Save the Cat by Blake Snyder, Story by Robert Mckee, and maybe even the Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Cambell. They all feature multiple formulas, etc., but one of the simplest, arguably most elegant ways to approach a feature screenplay is to make 8 12-minute shorts. For a movie to have compelling beats, every twelve minutes should feature a mini-story with a beginning, middle, and end to keep things consistently interesting. Hitchcock was known for doing this; for another example, pay close attention to The Others. Yes, this is formulaic, and yes, it's important to be original, but it's an interesting concept to observe because sometimes you need to know the rules to break them.
2. Prep for your water bottle tour. First of all, a water bottle tour is when typically, your agent or manager sets you up with back to back to back meetings with producers so you can pitch them on yourself and your projects all at once. Each office along the way usually gives you a bottle of water while you wait hence the name, water bottle tour. If you get the chance to do a water bottle tour, make sure to have a full stable of ideas and concepts to pitch everyone you meet. Sometimes these meetings are in the context of a specific project, but this is not the way to approach water bottle tours. Yes, arrive prepared to pitch that project, but know that they may pass on it, in which case, you need backup concepts in your arsenal to tell them about. Having multiple projects enables you to pitch your sensibility as a director because there's always a chance they like you and your taste, but that one project isn't right for them. Having multiple projects makes you way more likely to get a deal since not only do they have more options to choose from as producers, but you get to showcase your sensibility in a much deeper way so that when a project comes across their desk that you're right for, they're more likely to think about you. On water bottle tours, producers meet so many people that they cannot remember most of them, so you need to leave a strong impression of yourself, your work, what you're capable of, and the kind of stuff you want to do.
3. Keep multiple irons in the fire. This point is a natural extension to the previous one and further speaks to the importance of developing multiple projects at once. This is a paradox to the importance of focus, but the name of the game is being versatile and multi-faceted and having multiple things you're pitching at all times because you never know which one will hit or when. Zack spent years pitching one of his projects with little to no interest; meanwhile, his concept for Rattlesnake was instantly greenlit by Netflix. Hollywood is a fickle beast this way, without rhyme, reason, or logic sometimes, and it can drive you insane if you're not prepared for it. The film industry is a current, and rather than fight it; you need to learn to surf it. So get those screenplays ready, and I'll see you in Hollywood!

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Welcome to the Nick Taylor Horror Show. Patricia Day is the lead singer and standup bass player for the HorrorPops, a Danish punk band with a sound rooted in psychobilly, rockabilly, and punk rock with a horror-centric edge. I am a huge fan of HorrorPops and have been for over 15 years. My personal favorite songs are Psycho Beach, Where they Wander, Walk Like a Zombie, and Dotted With Hearts. Their sound is so cool and so much fun. They intertwine horror with 50's rockabilly with a tongue-in-cheek vibe, and I just love them. If you dig the Nekromantix, Misfits, or any horror-centric band, definitely check them out.

The HorrorPops recently released their first album in over 12 years with Live at the Wiltern, a dual album and DVD that features a 68-minute concert film. As a longtime fan, I've been super excited to see the Horrorpops getting back in action. In this conversation, Patricia and I get into favorite music, what's next for the Horrorpops & her songwriting process on this episode of the Nick Taylor Horror Show. Now without further ado, here is Horrorpops frontwoman, the wonderful Patricia Day. 

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe. 

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Christopher Alender and Marcos Gabriel are the writer/director duo behind The Old Ways; a fun and richly textured story about a young journalist who ventures into the jungles of Mexico to investigate a story of sorcery and healing, only to get kidnapped by a group of locals who claim her to be demonically possessed. Possessions, witchcraft, demons, and snakes, The Old Ways was not only a beautifully told story but a gleefully fun film. The Old Ways is now streaming on Netflix and was one of the top watched movies on the platform the week it came out, which makes sense as it was definitely one of my favorite movies of the year. I had a lot of fun with this conversation, we did the standard interview questions but also geeked out on horror, and I even whipped out my Aztec death whistle at one point. Anyway, please enjoy this fun and informative conversation with Christopher Alender and Marcos Gabriel.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Marcos & Alexander. 

• Lead with fresh takes on tired concepts. It is very difficult to do anything truly unique in the horror space; zombies have been done to death, as have vampires, witches, and definitely demonic possession. But what we haven't seen, or at least I haven't seen, is an exorcism movie based on ancient Mexican tradition. That is completely new, and one of the reasons Marcos' script for The Old Ways felt so fresh. Despite the fact that all of these genres have become so exhausted, it doesn't mean fans don't want more of them; they just don't want the same homogenized storylines that have become cliche. If you're approaching a well-trodden path like a zombie/werewolf/vampire movie, make sure you put a completely new and different spin on it, either culturally or socially. For other great examples of this, check out: The Vigil, The Boys of County Hell, His House, and Atlantics, all of which are awesome watches.

• Lean into folk horror. Just about every culture has a treasure trove of supernatural mythology, but sadly, there aren't many folk horror movies out there. When writing The Old Ways, Marcos drew upon a ton of history and mythology from the Mexican culture, all of which culminated in making The Old Ways not only unique but resonant. There's something naturally more believable about mythological archetypes and real folklore; it somehow feels familiar to people. Whether it's because these stories are in the collective unconscious or just really really cool is anybody's guess, but when integrated properly, they have a grounding effect on the movie, which makes it more compelling and believable. Dig into mythology and folklore to discover your own unique concepts.

• Time on set is your most valuable currency; budget accordingly. When it comes to good filmmaking, things take time; getting that great performance, lighting that killer shot, or perfecting that practical effects gag - all of these things take time to do right, which is why it's critical to make sure you have enough time on set. Indie filmmakers are typically in a constant rush against the clock, but budgeting more time on set means you can take the time to do things right because good things always take time. Chris articulated this beautifully when he made the comparison between footage versus cinema; footage can be done instantly and on a strict schedule, but cinema, the real art of film as a language, takes time. One way to save time that Chris recommended is to pre-visualize and literally pre-shoot your scenes through simulations so you can work out the kinks ahead of time. You can do this with something as sophisticated as Maya or Unreal Engine like Chris does or with something as simple as action figures. Doing these shot rehearsals can really help advise what you need to get on the day beyond storyboards and ultimately save you time on set, which, as we discussed, is your greatest currency.

• Your cast and crew need their rest to do their best. Chris recommends 5-day weeks instead of 6-day weeks. According to him, always opt for more days and skimp everywhere else. Consider this when budgeting your movie; do you need trailers? Do you need eight costume changes? Can you sacrifice two characters for an extra three days? Whatever it takes, it's worth it to maximize your production time. Now, admittedly, this runs counter to the Roger Corman hustle ethic of filmmaking, but so be it. There is definitely an over romanticization of hustle culture and shooting till 4 am and your crew hating you, and yes, sometimes that's what you have to do, but if you're in a position to avoid that, avoid it…because rested & happier cast & crews ultimately make better movies.

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe. 

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Hello dear listeners, I wanted to issue a public service announcement: this episode gets into some darker territory than most episodes do and goes beyond horror into explorations of sexual trauma. As such, I wanted to issue this trigger warning.

Ben Young is an Australian writer-director whose feature debut, Hounds of Love, completely blew me away. Hounds is an extremely gut-wrenching depiction of a criminal couple who engage in serial rape and murder. I'm usually not the biggest fan of this kind of horror BUT, this movie is not nihilistic, in fact, just the opposite - despite the brutality of its subject matter, the movie itself is executed in a way that's extremely compassionate, not to mention suspenseful - the ending had me losing my mind. It's a masterful exercise in gut-wrenching human drama, true horrors of humanity, and is loaded with very compelling performances. But again, I'm going to offer a strong trigger warning up front; Hounds of Love is a very brutal movie; it deals with rape and murder, both of which we discuss in this episode. Listener discretion is advised.

• Always have multiple answers for 'what do you want to do next.’ Ben's first pitch to the Australian film commission was not accepted, but luckily for him, he had multiple concepts and was ultimately able to make Hounds of Love even though it was not his first choice. Many would-be filmmakers have that one script or one idea. That kind of exclusive focus is a shot in the foot for your career. When you're fortunate enough to get an at-bat with a powerful producer, they may pass on your first idea and ask what else you got. If you don't have an answer, you've blown a very big opportunity. Always be developing multiple ideas. This runs counter to the importance of focus but think of it as tending a garden of projects that you nourish and develop over time, so when opportunity strikes, you have multiple developed options.

• Rehearse remotely and over time. Most indie filmmakers don’t have time for rehearsals, but that’s no excuse to be pausing cameras to discuss the emotions and motivation of a character, you still need to have that worked that out ahead of time, ideally with full collaboration with the actor. Ben has an elaborate system of questions around characters and scenes that he gives to his actors via Google docs. They answer, and he comments, and together they work out the character details over time instead of through typical rehearsals. This is very powerful because, over time, these character nuances are able to sink into the actor's psyche while the director has also had the opportunity to flesh them out fully.

• Build trust. This is a big one. Horror typically deals with very dark subject matter, which can be difficult, even triggering for actors. A movie like Hounds of Love deals with elements of rape, murder, and slavery. The actors had to go to extremely dark places in a believable way, but they wouldn't have been able to go there without trusting Ben implicitly. Ben stated to his actors early on that he would never ask them to do anything they were not comfortable doing, BUT he would explore why they were uncomfortable and find a compromise with the actor that gave him what he needed. This is compassionate directing and can lead to not only better performances but an enjoyable and meaningful set experience. For an example of what not to do, see Stanley Kubrick and Shelley Duvall in The Shining. 

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe. 

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Chris Baugh is an Irish writer and director who made his directorial debut with Bad Day for the Cut in 2017. His latest movie is The Boys of County Hell, a vampire film set in Northern Ireland. I really enjoyed this movie! I'm a fan of the vampire genre but prefer edgier and more unique takes on the vampire genre, and this is definitely what Boys of County Hell delivers on. The movie follows a group of road workers who have to survive the night when they accidentally awaken an ancient Irish vampire. It delivers the gore, as well as the laughs, and has some very cool mythology that involves Bram Stoker. I highly recommend it, and Boys of County Hell is now streaming on Shudder. Without further ado, here is Chris Baugh.

• Ground your movie in your own reality. When working within a genre, especially horror, it's easy to get stuck in cliches and create something that feels like it's been done before. Horror is becoming a sea of sameness, which is why it's important to put a deeply personal spin on your work. We've never seen a vampire movie set within Northern Ireland, and as a result, Boys From County Hell felt extremely unique and fresh because it had a sensibility and sense of reality that went beyond verisimilitude and felt deeply personal because it was based on Chris' actual experiences.

• Cast authentic characters for believable horror. This is definitely an extension of the first point but, casting people who look, act, and talk like real people, gives your movie a level of reality that makes the horror element work even better because, again, it grounds it in reality. The ensemble cast of Boys From County Hell was fantastic - not only great actors but their chemistry and camaraderie felt so real, which really made the movie sing. This all comes down to casting, specifically casting for authenticity. So look for actors who feel real and who can bring their real personalities to their characters.

• Always have something, even if you don't. Before Chris did his first movie, he was asked by a film fund in Ireland if he had something they could finance. He did not, but said he did and then ran home and wrote the screenplay for Bad Day for the Cut (which I highly recommend, now streaming on Netflix). He wrote it in about a month, and although he didn't get it funded that year, he got funded the year after. This is a testament to two things; sometimes, you need external pressure to get you to finish that screenplay finally, so if you have the opportunity to commit to delivering someone a screenplay, commit to it. Sometimes the pressure is what you need to bring your work over the finish line finally. The other thing is that if you have an opportunity, at all costs, take it. Even if you're not prepared, say yes and figure it out after the fact. It worked for Chris, and it may just work for you. 

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Brian Yuzna is a man who needs no introduction. A writer, director, producer, Brian Yuzna produced multiple movies directed by Stuart Gordon, including Reanimator, Dagon, From Beyond, and Dolls. Brian directed one of my personal favorite deep cuts, Society, which, if you haven't seen, do yourself a favor and watch it, ideally with Joe Bob on Shudder. Brian also directed Bride of Reanimator, Silent Night Deadly Night 4, Beyond Reanimator, Return of the Living Dead 3, and many, many more. He's an icon of horror, and it was an honor to speak with him. Please give it up for the legendary Brian Yuzna.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Brian Yuzna.

Focus on movies, not milestones. As Brian mentioned, many directors enter Hollywood obsessed with finding a manager and an agent. Why? When you're starting out, you don't need an agent or a manager; you need a fucking film. That should be your focus up front, getting yourself a calling card. Whether it's a feature or a short, get your name out there, and the managers and agents will follow.

Careful what you wish for; higher budgets mean higher pressure. Brian mentioned an example of a filmmaker who worked up the ranks and started with an indie film and ended up with a higher-budgeted movie but found that the crew was incredibly difficult to work with because they didn't respect him. This is a hard scenario, and clearly, most professional crews would never ever act this way, but it does happen. The unfortunate lesson here is regardless of whether or not you're the director, as you move up in the ranks, you're always going to have to prove yourself and deal with people who think they're better and more experienced than you. Find ways to work through it or work around it. In the case of Brian, they pretended to wrap the movie early and then finished it with the second unit crew because they were more agreeable. Hierarchies will always be there - movie making is often less about talent and more about leadership and people management.

Hire an older DP. This is a big one. You’re probably going to think that you won’t want some cool young, cutting edge DP to helm your movie, but if you're just starting out, you’re gonna want a DP who's more experienced and can act more like a parental figure who can reign you in when necessary. When hiring, your DP is arguably one of the most important hires because this is the person who will guide you on how to make the movie, shot by shot. So you need someone experienced, particularly if you’re on your first, second, or third movie. Consider hiring somebody who will keep you in line and on quality. Older professionals have this experience and wisdom and can keep you and your movie in line and on time. 

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Guys, we got ADAM FUCKIN’ GREEN ON THE SHOW TODAY!!

Adam is a guy who needs no introduction; the man behind Holliston, Frozen, Spiral, Digging up the Marrow, and the beloved Hatchet series, Adam is a household name in annals of horror history and a downright awesome human being. I'm sure you already listen to his podcast The Movie Crypt, but if you don't, I highly recommend you do.

Ok, this episode is amazing and clearly one of the best we've ever done. Adam slayed this interview and went above and beyond and completely over-delivered on the advice front. He is brutally honest about this industry and tells a bunch of wonderful and insightful stories about how he got started, pushing through hard times as a director, and Dee Snider.

This episode is a little longer than most, but I promise you’ll walk away smiling, inspired, and very informed. I loved this interview, and it’s definitely one of the ones that I will listen to regularly. So, without further ado, here is the incredible Adam Green!

Flex every opportunity. This goes out to those filmmakers out there who are not full-time yet. One of Adam's first jobs was editing videos for local businesses, videos that are typically pretty lame. But, he found an opportunity to use his directorial sensibility to make the videos great instead of shrugging the work off as part of his temporary day job. Instead, he channeled his passion into the work that was right in front of him, and as a result, that ad he edited was extremely popular and allowed Adam to hone his skills in what would have otherwise been a bland opportunity. Regardless of wherever you are in your filmmaking journey, find ways to flex your skills and passions with what you do instead of shrugging it off as unimportant.

Ignorance is bliss. One of the things Adam really made an effort to convey is that throughout the course of his directorial journey, he knew very little about filmmaking but picked it all up as he went. Regardless of the fact that he didn't know what a feature or a reel was in the beginning, the consistent element of his origin story is that he constantly put one foot in front of the other, built momentum, and learned everything by doing. This is huge, as a lot of filmmakers feel intimidated and think they either need to go to film school or read dozens of books about filmmaking to get started. No. The best way to learn is to take consistent action, not by researching or feeling intimidated by your lack of knowledge. You don't have to know everything, or anything actually, but you do need to get moving.

Giving others huge opportunities can be a huge opportunity for you. When Adam was selecting his production designer, he picked a greensman, someone who'd never done the job before. But since Adam's movie represented an enormous opportunity for him to excel and show what he’s capable of, this guy over-delivered, and as a result, the production value of Hatchet was very high. This is what you want when you're working with low budgets; you want people who aren't in it for the money but for the opportunity to make something great with you. Your film could be a jumping-off point for someone's career, so don't always feel the need to crew your movie based on someone's IMDB credits. Observe their attitudes, your gut feeling about them, and really think about what your movie represents to them in terms of opportunity. Find people who have as much to prove as you do and it will not only save you money and boost your production value, but it'll create a wonderful adventurous spirit on set.

Be cautious of favors. This is a complimentary point to the previous one. What you do not want on set is people who will begrudgingly do you favors and then constantly remind you of how much they usually get paid throughout the course of production. This is very toxic. Don’t get me wrong, though; sometimes it's worth it to reach out to collaborators who are way out of your league, which was the case with both Ryan Spindell on Mortuary Collection and Ryuhei Kitamura with his first film Versus. But in any case, when selecting people to work with, it's critical to find that spirit of passion instead of people who are just in it for the money, which brings me to my next point.

Create your own sandbox. Let's face it, anyone who's been in the Hollywood system will tell you it's infested with sharks, liars, assholes, and a lot of sociopathic personality types. It just is, but you shouldn't be daunted by this; instead, you should be vigilant about who you work with. Toxic personalities on set are awful and can ruin your set. Hollywood is a boulevard of broken dreams, and you're likely to come across a lot of people who are very bitter and envious and if you discover this, replace them immediately because they not only harm morale, they can actually try to sabotage your movie. Yes, that happens, multiple directors have mentioned it, and it's very insidious but true. What Adam does is he hyper-curates his production circles and tries to only work with people he knows & trusts or has great chemistry with. As a result, his sets are fun and harmonious, which significantly helps him get through more difficult productions. This is a key lesson so take note.

Stop pirating movies! This doesn't apply to everyone but, some of you know who you are. If you like horror movies, support them by not pirating them. Illegally downloading movies is stealing, plain and simple, and no, it's not a victimless crime. The true victims aren't just the producers, writers, directors who bust their asses for years to make these movies, but it's us fans who ultimately suffer because there will be fewer horror movies because it drains money out of the industry. I'm going to go ahead and say it, if you steal horror movies, you can't call yourself a real horror fan. Real fans support the industry, so if this is you, knock that shit off and just pony up the money to watch the movies you love.

Anyway, I don't want to end on a negative note, so I'll say, guys, this is my 80th episode and the end of Season 2 of the Nick Taylor Horror Show. I cannot thank you all enough for listening and for your support, and for sharing the show with your friends and filmmaking colleagues. Seriously, thank you guys so so much. We're going to take a brief hiatus before returning with Season 3 but in the meantime, be well, stay safe, and thank you as always for listening. 

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Corinna Faith is a British Writer and Director who recently made her feature debut with The Power. The Power tells the story of a young nurse forced to work the night shift in a crumbling hospital during a time when England was plunged into mandatory blackouts every night to conserve power. As she works her shifts by candlelight, a terrifying presence threatens to consume her and everyone around her. The Power is a very atmospheric and spooky supernatural thriller, and the concept of nightly blackouts in an asylum is very eerie. The Power is now streaming on Shudder. Corrina and I discussed the making of The Power, her supernatural and paranormal research for the movie, and big director lessons learned from her first feature.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Corinna.

• Re-visit the 70s. The 70s was a very innovative time for filmmakers in the wake of the dissolving of the studio system. Here you saw the unbridled rise of auteur and renegade filmmakers, and as far as decades, none of them compare to the ’70s. Prior to making The Power, Corinna's cinema diet consisted of a number of 70's films, focusing intently on the work of Robert Altman. The edge and sophistication of the ‘70s sensibility shine through in The Power and gives it a very noticeable quality of filmmaking and interesting storytelling. It also helped that the story took place in the ‘70s. If you're a student of film, it would behoove you greatly to dive into this decade as much as possible as it was a golden age for independent film and maverick directors.

• Take care of your health. Ok, I'll admit this is a boring one, but before you wring me out on Twitter, think about it. Corrina learned that your health is one of your greatest assets as a director, which is absolutely true but often the last thing to be taken care of. We've talked about this a lot, but yes, while making your films, there will be sleepless nights, there will be uphill battles, way too much coffee, and aching bones, but it benefits you as a director to take care of your health as much as you can. Being healthier increases your physical endurance, emotional resilience, problem-solving ability, and overall cognition, which are all things you will need a high supply of when you're on set. So, as hard as it is, do what you can to get adequate sleep, exercise, and a decent diet.

• Find a mentor/cheerleader. It is a difficult long slog to get movies made, things go wrong, projects get canceled, but it’s important to keep the faith. When Corinna's first project was unexpectedly canceled, she was very dismayed, but she had a pivotal mentor who expressed confidence in her work, and that's all she needed to push through the difficult times. Sometimes all it takes is for one person to believe in you for you to believe in yourself enough to push forward during adversity. This worked very well for Corinna, who years ago was in a very difficult and frustrating place but now has an awesome first feature under her belt. Try to find those mentors out there whose feedback can help shape your ability, they can not only improve your craft, but their confidence in you can help you push through the tough times.

Thanks for listening, don't forget to subscribe. 

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Josh Miller is a household name in the horror community, an American filmmaker, writer, director, and actor. Among other things, Josh created the Fox animated series Golan the Insatiable and wrote the script for Sonic the Hedgehog film, and is directing the cult horror-comedy Hey, Stop Stabbing Me! He is the co-host of The Greatest Movies Never Made podcast, along with Stephen Scarlata, which showcases some of the most interesting movies that never got to see the light of day.

I caught up with Josh to talk about his overall career, writing processes, and how he got to write an enormous studio picture like Sonic the Hedgehog on today's episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show. Now please give it up for Josh Miller.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Josh Miller.

• Make something, anything. Josh's start came from having no contacts or footholds in the industry at all. Instead, he made a super low budget feature in college called Stop Stabbing Me, and regardless of how good it was, ultimately, it led him to get recognition which over time yielded his eventual career success. A lot of filmmakers get held up on perfectionism and waiting for the perfect project instead of just fucking making something. Yes, it's important that your name be synonymous with quality, but when you're just starting out, all producers really want to know is that you can finish something and release it. That alone will enable you to stand above seventy-five percent of the pack. So, in the words of Robert Rodriguez, keep making shit. You never know where it can lead.

• Read good scripts and bad scripts. As a screenwriter, Josh reads a ton of scripts, and as important as seeking out good ones, it's almost as important to seek out bad scripts. A bad script allows you to have a higher level of consciousness about the pitfalls of screenwriting like lame dialogue, bad storytelling, lack of tension, etc. It's critical to identify these things so you can avoid them and the best way to do that is to get acquainted with what makes a bad script bad by reading bad scripts. So, next time you see a movie and realize it had a terrible script, find the screenplay, read it, and analyze for yourself what went wrong and what could have fixed it. I find journaling about what you don't like about movies and scripts to be a great way to avoid mistakes when it comes time to sit down to write.

• Stick with it. Josh got to write the script for an epic production like Sonic the Hedgehog, but it came after years of trying to break through with multiple projects. Josh stayed the course, built his contacts, stayed on the radar of important people, and simply didn't give up for over ten years, and here he is. Of course, success like this is never guaranteed but, failure is once you throw in the towel. After writing Sonic, Josh is heralding Sonic 2 and...I don't want to start a rumor, but it's on Wikipedia, so I guess I can say it. It looks like Josh is penning the untitled Ace Venture sequel. Fingers crossed. In any event, Josh's story is similar to many directors' in how it's one of endurance and momentum. Keep at it, stay the course.  

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe. 

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J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules are the founders and executives of BoulderLight Pictures, a horror-centric production house in Los Angeles. Under BoulderLight, JD & Rafi have put out over 15 movies including: Becky, Pledge, Contracted, Dementia and most recently, The Vigil. When asked who the next Blumhouse will be, Jason Blum, without question, said BoulderLight pictures. Between their shrewd emphasis on economics, eye for bold talent, and recently launched international sales arm, JD and Rafi are a force to be reckoned with - and it seems like they are just getting started.

In this interview, we talked about their filmography, the launch of BoulderLight, and strategies for aspiring producers, on this very special episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show. Now without further ado here are JD Lifshits and Raphael Margules of BoulderLight Pictures.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with JD and Raphael.

Your movies must have urgency. You know that feeling when you hear about a project, or see a trailer, or read an announcement for a movie and you cannot fucking wait to see it? You ever find yourself actually wishing that they announced the project closer to the release date because of the pain of having to wait for it? Those are the kinds of projects you need to make! Nowadays, with the ubiquity of streaming, audiences have an infinite cinema library at their fingertips, they need to not only know about your project but they have to be extremely excited about it and dying for it to be released. As JD and Rafie mentioned, the way to do this is to create things people haven't seen before - a compelling hook, a completely different take on a reliable trope, anything that hooks the audience. If your movie feels cliche and part of a sea of sameness, you may get a decent review, or the attention of a few odd audience members who stumble upon it while looking for something to watch on Saturday night, which is fine. But the real name of the game is for your project to be so compelling and exciting, that people are counting down the days for it release. A natural extension of this rule is present in the next point.

If you're not in love with it, it probably wont work. It's a cliche at this point, but to make movies, you really have to love it. Making films is extremely difficult in every single stage, and one of the only ways to get through the difficulties associated with filmmaking is to absolutely love it. This is also necessary because the audience will always be able to sense your passion in the film itself. You can feel the excitement and sheer glee of filmmaking with directors like Spielberg, Tarantino, Sofia Coppola, and PT Anderson. That's because these people are in love with their movies, and this passion is completely infectious to audience members. If you're taking on a project as a career stepping stone or a way to make a quick buck, in all likelihood the energy of the movie is going to be flat and so will its ratings. Plus, to get your movie greenlit, Producers need to see your enthusiasm for the project in order to invest in you, because they know that the going will get rough two weeks into production, and you need the kind of heart for the project that will enable you to push through. There are plenty exceptions to this rule, but as Quentin Tarantino says, "if you really really love movies with all of your heart, then you can't help but make a great movie." Passion has to be alive in every frame of your movie and if you do this right, in all likelihood, audiences will be passionate about your movies too.

Ask for advice, not favors. This is a big piece of advice that JD realized at a young age when he reached out to Eli Roth on MySpace and got an answer back the same day. JD asked Eli for advice and as a result, Eli became his mentor and tremendously helped guide him through the ups and downs of Hollywood. Having someone like this in your life is priceless. Everybody needs a Yoda, so think about finding yours. The best way to do this, is to ask people for advice, not favors. Go and get yourself an IMDB pro account for $20 a month, and send an email asking for a very specific piece of advice that wont take any more than ten minutes to respond to, but make sure it's something unique and not something they've addressed in a previous interview. What you do not want to do is ask them to read your screenplay, listen to your pitch, or make an introduction to someone who can help you get your movie made. Any mentor worth their salt gets bombarded with pitches all day long. Instead, ask for short but sweet pieces of advice, then take their advice and let them know what happens, and begin a correspondence.

Nothing matters in this business, move on. As we've discussed extensively, Hollywood is a very tough place with a lot of tough people. Everyone struggles, gets yelled, at rejected, insulted, lied to, or treated unjustly sooner or later. JD talked about getting aggressively yelled at all the time by executives and just shrugging it off and pushing forward because none of it really matters. As he said, don't be afraid to get a little coffee thrown in your face. And he's absolutely right. Hollywood is a walled garden, and frankly a self-filtering ecosystem, so there will be an equal amount of people who will test your mettle and people who are downright rude assholes. Who cares, take the blows and move on. Don't let it discourage you, deject you, or slow you down in any way. Real abuse, of course, should not be tolerated, but get used to being knocked around a lot so you can develop a thick skin, because without it, you wont make it for two minutes in this town.

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David Prior is an American writer and director who made his feature directorial debut with The Empty Man. The Empty Man is an epic in the world of horror and one of the most criminally overlooked horror movies of 2020. The movie itself has the scope, ambition, and execution of a Chris Nolan movie while mixing elements of cults, quantum horror, and creepypastas into an extremely unique mythology that is all its own.

Guys, if you haven't seen it, you have to. Empty Man was one of the most ambitious horror movies of recent years. The story behind the making of Empty Man is very harrowing. In the middle of shooting in South Africa, the movie was temporarily shut down due to weather conditions, during which a key studio executive who greenlit the film left the studio, essentially leaving the movie abandoned. If that wasn't enough, once the movie finally got finished, David had to endure a series of calamities, including negative test screenings and studio interference which kept the movie in limbo for years. If that wasn't enough, once the movie was finally released, it was in theatres during the height of the pandemic only to get largely negative Rotten Tomato reviews (which were very unjust) and thus be completely buried.

However, as of the past few weeks, The Empty Man has been seeing a major resurgence as a number of outspoken critics have been singing the praises of the movie and thus causing it to get the attention it deserves. The story behind the Empty Man brings to light the many issues that can befall a movie but also shows the power of the internet to champion a movie when it belongs in the spotlight. I'm personally thrilled that Empty Man is getting the viewership that it has been; it’s a must-see, and I'm convinced it will be considered a horror epic for years to come.

In this conversation with David, we got into the whole story behind Empty Man, his directorial processes, and what he learned observing directors like David Fincher, Tim Burton, and Peter Weir when he visited them on set while producing special features for multiple DVD titles. All of this and so much more on today's episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Empty Man Director David Prior.

Movies are made in prep. When you watch Empty Man and observe all of the locations, decisions, camera angles, story elements, it's a comprehensive and ambitious epic of a movie. But, its budget was comparatively low. The key to accomplishing all that he did on a mid-range budget was preparation. David stressed each and every detail related to locations, productions, blocking, scheduling, and set details to an obsessive degree and made sure it was all communicated to his production crew. So much of your time in production is spent in communication and dealing with the consequences of miscommunication. If you can alleviate this by being incredibly well prepared, you can set yourself up to be way ahead of the game. This will alleviate your time, energy, and focus substantially so you can get the right shots the right way and substantially boost your film's production value because you've handled the minutia upstream. The idea of prep sounds like a little detail but can make or break your movie.

There are no greenlights. Given his experience on Empty Man, David is someone who can attest to the many difficulties that can befall a production, particularly one from a major studio. David learned that as a director, at no point is your movie ever really guaranteed. Even if your movie's been approved, even if it's been funded, even if it's been edited, you're never really safe, and therefore you can never let your guard down.

I'm paraphrasing here, but Guillermo Del Toro once stated that the natural state of a film is for it not to happen, and Rob Zombie calls every finished film a miracle because a completed production defies the odds because movie making is chaos, and the studios are ruthless.

It's hard enough to get a movie approved and funded by a studio, but at that point, the battle is far from over. Movies get canceled all the time, sometimes halfway through filming. It's a cut-throat business, and as a filmmaker, you need the kind of iron will that can push through that. Hollywood is a magical place, but it's littered with broken dreams and infinite unrealized projects, and the unfortunate thing is that it's a system that doesn't care anything about you, your script, your hopes, or your dreams. I'm not trying to sound pessimistic; in fact, just the opposite. In order to have the kind of iron will necessary, you need to realize that Hollywood is the land of Murphy's Law, and if you can go with the flow of it, and not get too disheartened or take it personally, or give up on the dream, who knows, you may just make it. Which brings me to my next point.

Be ready to die for your movie, but also be ready to abandon it.

David touched on something that I think is very interesting and potentially very groundbreaking in terms of the mindset of a director. We've established how tough a place Hollywood is, and when it comes to being successful as a filmmaker, there's a serious need for endurance and a serious need for 'a never give up attitude.' Directors essentially have to be Goonies because "Goonies never say die!" But, you also need to have the fortitude to be able to walk away.

While making Empty Man, David came across enough pushback from the studios where he was ready to throw his hands up and walk away from the project despite putting years of his life into it. Luckily the project still came to be but the fact that he was willing to walk raised the stakes in the eyes of the producers and helped build enough urgency to push the project forward. This concept is an absolute paradox and something only to be considered as a last resort, but sometimes the willingness to abandon a project is exactly what's needed to move forward, either with the project or your career. The willingness to walk can create a major shift in the power dynamic with a studio head, but of course, it can backfire, especially if you're bluffing. So tread carefully, but think about this. 

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We have a super special episode today with Brea Grant and Natasha Kermani in the house!!

Brea Grant is an actress, writer, director, graphic novel author, and a household name in the horror community.  Perhaps best known among us horror fans for her acting work in Dexter, Heroes, After Midnight, and Rob Zombie's Halloween 2, Brea also recently wrote and directed the very bloody and very funny 12-Hour Shift, now streaming on Hulu and if that wasn't enough, Brea has released her newest graphic novel Mary: The Adventures of Mary Shelley's Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandaughter.

Natasha Kermani is an Iranian-American filmmaker who made waves on the horror circuit in 2017 with her feature debut, Imitation Girl - a hypnotic, doppelgänger science fiction treat. In what many would call a horror dream team, Brea and Natasha recently came together on Lucky, written by and starring Brea with Natasha directing.

Now streaming on Shudder, Lucky is a dark, satirical slasher with very relevant social commentary - the film tells the story of a young woman who finds herself stalked by a murderous figure who appears in her house every night. With zero help from friends and local authorities, she realizes she has to take this predator out herself. Lucky is not only a very effectively frightening slasher, but it's a refreshingly unadulterated statement on violence against women in America. It's the type of movie that has the potential for multiple interpretations, which is one of the things that makes it as fascinating and powerful as it is.

In this conversation, Natasha and Brea trade career strategies, writing processes and discuss the production story behind Lucky. All of this and so much more on today's episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show. Now without further ado, here is Brea Grant and Natasha Kermani.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Natasha and Brea.

Take note of Ego vs. Confidence. There is a fine line that directors must always walk when on set - if you're too much of an ego-maniac who barks orders all day without any regard for those around you, your crew will mutiny, as they should. Yes, of course, there are many directorial exceptions to this rule, but by and large, ego is the enemy. However, if you're too much of a pushover, your crew will walk all over you. This is why it's important to distinguish the difference between ego and confidence. Confidence is a necessary part of any directing job, as your entire cast and crew will turn to you to make decisions on just about everything, and you need to have an answer or solution. In order to do that, you need confidence in your ability to lead. A film crew, just like a sea crew, needs a captain they can rely on. Without confidence, you'll be eaten alive, but with too much ego, you'll be ignored. Learn the difference between the two and strike the balance.

Take the time and space necessary. Directing is largely a game of hustle. Hustling to get your shots, make your day, and ensure everything goes according to plan. In the midst of all of this hustle, a lot can get lost in the fog, which is why it was very refreshing to hear Natasha talk about the importance of taking the time and space to get the shots right. Directing relies so much on your cognition in order to effectively tap into and communicate your creative vision. Rushing all the time and exerting stress on each and every move can obliterate your creativity. Yes, it's critical to make your day and get your shots without being too precious about details, but like everything, this is a balance. It’s important to ensure that you breathe and take the time necessary to get what you need to get when the cameras are rolling, instead of just moving on every time. Unless you're behind on schedule, in which case, yeah, you should probably move on.

Work with those who will challenge your decisions. Making a movie is a matter of melding together an infinite amount of decisions; everything from casting choices to camera angles, lighting cues, wardrobe details, the decisions are endless. As a director, your job is to either make those decisions or hire someone you trust to make them for you. A director needs to have a growth mindset by embracing the necessity to get better with every movie by learning as much as possible. One of the best ways to do this is by learning from the cast and crew that you're privileged enough to work with. This enables you to draw from decades of experience on a single movie, but similar to the first point requires the relinquishing of ego. Natasha spoke of the importance of having people around you who will respectfully challenge your decisions. This is priceless. Since you want always to be getting better, the best way to do this is by surrounding yourself with trusted collaborators who can teach you and make sure that every detail of your movie is as good as it can be. You do not want a cast and crew of order takers who will do what you say just because you're the director. Instead, you want an open field of communication between yourself and your key collaborators so that everyone can do the best job they can. This requires you always to be open to feedback and selecting people to work with who will challenge your opinions with their expertise for the sake of the movie. 

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe. 

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Steve Niles is an American comic book writer, novelist, screenwriter, and producer with a prolific portfolio of groundbreaking horror comics including Criminal Macabre, Ash & the Army of Darkness, Batman: Gotham County Line, Ghosts of Krypton, a Superman adventure and October Faction upon which the Netflix show is based. Steve also wrote the original comic and adapted the screenplay for 30 Days of Night among many, many other things. 

Steve is also the co-founder of Monster Forge, an extremely exciting production house specializing in monster-centric projects that extends across film, animation, games, comics and even toys! Steve co-founded Monster Forge with Shannon Eric Denton and I spoke to both of them all about Monster Forge back on episode 67, so be sure and check that out. 

Steve is a legend in the world of horror and someone I’m a big big fan of. I was extremely excited to talk to him about his career history, writing & creative processes, and his favorite new movies & comics. Please enjoy this conversation with Steve Niles. 

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Steve Niles. 

Save everything. As a prolific creator, Steve is always writing and frequently working on multiple projects simultaneously. Therefore, his mind is always coming up with ideas for his many projects which is why he has a system for capturing ideas as they come to him so that when it comes time to write, he can face the page with a backlog of material to start from. Whether you are an Evernote power user, a scrapbook keeper, or simply using your notes app on your iPhone, it’s critical that you give yourself permission to be a hoarder of ideas.  As a creator, your ideas will rarely come to you fully formed, and instead usually show up as small disparate details that are looking to be developed - this is why you will want to begin capturing all of this material as it comes to you so that you can arm yourself against writer’s block with a wealth of concepts that can be molded to fit your current project. 

Heed the Punk Rock ethos of DIY. A few directors have cited the punk rock as crucial inspiration for their approach to film, including Larry Fessenden. Steve is no exception. Having played in multiple punk bands like Gray Matter and Three, Steve was imbued with the DIY (do it yourself) ethos of punk rock at an early age and it completely dictated his approach to his career. In a nutshell, the DIY punk ethos states that you should never wait for any larger entity to give you an opportunity but instead create your own opportunity entirely by creating your own platform. This came about primarily in the ’70s and ‘80s when a ton of punk bands couldn’t get signed by mainstream labels forcing them to launch their own labels out of necessity. Similarly, Steve’s early graphic novel work was considered a little too transgressive so instead of pitching to multiple publishers, running the risk of rejection, Steve opted to start his own graphic novel label with Arcane Comix and his career took off. This is huge because when you own your work outright, you’re effectively shielded from the corporate entities who often want to water your work down to sell more copies or mold your material into the mainstream. This mentality is a slow death for most artists, so whenever you can, keep things punk rock and do it yourself. 

KISS; keep it simple stupid. Steve has collaborated with some of the greatest minds in horror, including Rob Zombie, Sam Raimi, Clive Barker, Wes Craven, and John Carpenter. One of the things he’s learned from them is how the strength of their ideas usually lies in their simplicity. They collectively have relatively simple concepts which allow their work to truly sing since it’s not weighed down by complicated story elements. This is a big trap that a lot of writers fall into; brimming with ideas, most writers want to pack their stories full of multiple concepts, storylines, and endless amounts of details only to distract and disengage the reader with a bloated storyline. Simplifying, on the other hand, allows nuances like the artists’ style, vision, and world to shine through since it’s not bogged down by overly complex details. 

Simplicity, however, is not easy to come by, and actually requires more work than complexity. As the old saying goes, “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” So heed the advice of the masters of horror as you’re developing your stories - the simplest distillation of your idea is usually the best version of it.

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe. 

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Kevin Lewis is an American director of multiple features, including The Method, Downward Angel, The Drop, and The Third Nail. Most recently, Kevin has wowed the horror crowd with Willy's Wonderland, a wonderfully bonkers 'survive the night horror thriller' that pits a group of demonic animatronic animals against an understatedly badass Nicolas Cage.

This movie was one of the most culty, return to the midnight movie traditions I've seen this year, and a whole bunch of fun. It delivered the laughs, the blood, and the Cage. I really enjoyed speaking to Kevin about his career history, the long road of getting Willy's Wonderland off of the ground, and stories about working with Nicolas Cage. Without further ado, here is Kevin Lewis.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Kevin Lewis.

• Drive on. Kevin's dad was in the military and a big motto during his time in Vietnam was 'Drive On' - no matter how many bullets were flying at your head, it's imperative to push forward and accomplish the mission. This is an equally important motto for today's filmmakers. One of the big recurring themes of Kevin's career history is that he pushed all of his movies forward himself without waiting for people to give him the green light. He made his movies happen. Regardless of how many features he got under his belt, Kevin would beg, borrow, steal and hustle his ass off every step of the way for each of his subsequent movies. This is a huge concept, and yet another outcrop of Mark Duplass's speech, 'The Cavalry is Not Coming,' which you should all see (just Google Mark Duplass, The Cavalry is Not Coming and watch the entire thing). It basically amounts to this: nobody is going to push your movie forward other than you. Regardless of how many movies you make, you're always going to have to sing for your supper and push your films forward by the skin of your teeth. Kevin realized this early and, as a result, was always working on something instead of waiting around for someone to hand him a script.

• Work with people with the same agenda. Kevin has worked on many sides of Hollywood and experienced firsthand just how insane this industry can be. He also illuminated the fact that there are a lot of sharks in the business, but not only sharks, who are greedy and will chew you up and spit you out, but even worse, there are saboteurs out there who want to see you fail. This is a very unfortunate personality type, but they are rampant in Hollywood - people who want to sabotage you and your movie either out of spite, or jealousy, or whatever toxic bullshit is inside their heads; the point is, they exist, and you have to steer clear of them by keeping them out of your circles and off of your sets. Kevin went on to say that everyone in Hollywood has an agenda, and regardless of how good someone's intentions seem to be, they might not have your best interest at heart, so be cautious about who you work with. More specifically, it's important to find people who have the same agenda that you have, and as Kevin stated, your agenda should always be to make a great movie.

• Work with Nicolas Cage! In addition to his cult status, dynamic acting ability, and downright iconicism, Nicolas Cage is a mensch. When he was given the script for something as off the wall as Willy's Wonderland, he not only jumped on board, but he fought for the movie to get funded and for Kevin to remain on board as a director. Nic Cage is a big star, and he didn't have to do any of that, but he used his star power to empower Kevin as the director and to help the movie get the funding it deserved, which is really extraordinary. So, if you have the opportunity, work with Nic Cage or someone like him whose heart is in the right place, seek them out! Actors like these will not only make your production process an outright pleasure but also support you and your movie, which can really move things forward.

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Kourosh Ahari is an Iranian American director who just made his directorial debut with the horror-thriller, The Night, from IFC Midnight. The Night focuses on a young couple and their baby girl as they check into a hotel room that they suddenly cannot leave until they work out their own inner demons. The Night is currently available on demand. I bought up with Kourosh to talk about his career, lessons learned from his first feature, and how he paid the bills as a filmmaker for years by starting his own production company.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Kourosh Ahari. 

Turn to your production crew to deepen your story. As a director, there are only so many things you can give your focus to on a daily basis on set, so you need to have a crew you can rely on. Not only rely on for technical elements, but for creative decisions as well, who can take your vision to an entirely new level by adding depth to what you created. In the case of The Night, there are a lot of small details throughout the film that deepen the movie's mythology and overall world-building strength. These details primarily came from Kourosh's set design and production design crew, who integrated details from his story into their work, which deepened the movie substantially and by making its mythos more effective. This is exactly what you want as a director and another reason why directors should always be open to deep collaborations as opposed to fundamentalist auteurism. 

Proceed through entrepreneurship. As we all know, becoming a director can be a difficult road, but to increase your chances, consider starting a production company that makes commercial projects. These not only pay the bills really well, but they provide critical production experience on low-pressure sets that can help you hone your directorial ability. If you can't start a company like this one, then consider joining one. David Fincher, Michael Cimino, Ridley Scott, and Tony Scott all got their start with commercials. You can too. It’s a day job that pays the wages and gives you skills that will help you as a director. 

Rehearse backstory. Rehearsal is critically important for getting the scenes right, but what not a lot of directors don’t discuss is exercises for establishing camaraderie & chemistry between characters. To get his primary actors to be believable on camera as a couple who had a tumultuous past, Kourosh had the actors rehearse their character's backstory by acting out memories, dinners, arguments, and other memories that never were in the script. This is a brilliant rehearsal technique because it not only establishes chemistry and believability between characters, it establishes history.

Thanks for listening! Don't forget to subscribe today and tell all of your horror filmmaker friends as well!

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Rodney Ascher is an American documentary filmmaker, perhaps best known among us horror fans for ROOM 237 - a documentary that focuses on the exhaustively diverse amount of theories surrounding The Shining. Rodney’s other projects include The Nightmare, a terrifying deep dive into sleep paralysis, and Primal Screen, about childhood fears of characters that fall in the uncanny valley.

Rodney's latest movie, A Glitch in the Matrix, explores the widely reported phenomena of Simulation Theory, the terrifying idea that human life is a big simulation as portrayed in The Matrix. Guys, this movie was fantastic; all of Rodney's movies are amazing - he's one of the most fascinating documentarians out there, so definitely check out his other movies like Room 237 and Nightmare, but run don't walk to see A Glitch in the Matrix. It's extremely unique, fascinating, and as always, Rodney's directorial style is downright hypnotic. Also, if you're even remotely interested in this notion of simulation theory, I suggest checking out the Reddit thread, also titled, A Glitch in the Matrix, if you really want to get freaked out by some first-hand accounts of this alleged phenomenon.

This is my second interview with Rodney, and in my first, we get into his director origin story and more of his techniques and processes as a filmmaker, so if you're interested in that, go check out episode 36. In this interview, Rodney and I focused almost exclusively on A Glitch in the Matrix - I always enjoy speaking to him; here, without further ado, is master documentarian Rodney Ascher. 

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Kyle Rankin is an American writer and director, having directed such films as the Battle of Shaker Heights, Infestation, Night of the Living Deb, and The Witch Files. His latest film is the extremely controversial school shooter thriller, Run Hide Fight. In this conversation with Kyle, we explored the genesis of the movie as well as some of the film's misconceptions and intentions.

Prepare to have your mettle tested. This is a classic scenario on film sets that a lot of directors don't talk about. When working with experienced or famous actors, they will often test your ability and resolve as a director to ensure their safety as an artist. In the chaos of directing, it's easy to forget that the career of the actors you have cast are on the line as much as your own, and as such, they need to know they are in good hands. Because of this, they will test you, either consciously or unconsciously. The tests often come in the form of arguments or taking a hard stance against a decision to see if you are strong enough to push back and prove your point - these are all a means to ensure that your decisions are informed enough and that your directorial vision is strong enough. Welcome these challenges as an opportunity to earn your actors’ respect.

Shield the actors from your difficulties. This is a huge point that speaks further to the importance of creating a safe space for your actors to do their work. If you are behind on your day, that is your problem, and your actors don't need to know that, and to tell them will only stress them out. This is definitely difficult, but it's a principle of the chivalry of directing. As the previous point stated, actors need to know they're in good hands so they can have the space to create; therefore, your problems should never become their problems because their job is difficult enough. So if your actor needs to talk things through during a performance, but you're losing the light, keep it to yourself and find a way to help them get there anyway. Do not try to motivate them to muscle through the performance to make your day because you will lose their confidence and compromise their performance. Of course, there are always exceptions and unreasonable actors whose difficulty can sabotage your movie - this is on full display in the Apocalypse Now documentary Hearts of Darkness, which every filmmaker should see.

Talk less, say more. Kyle mentioned how he would talk too much as a director on his first few films with superfluous psychoanalysis of characters and overly detailed descriptions. This is an easy trap to fall into, but it is a trap nonetheless. If your cast and crew begin to check out because your thinking and talking are all over the place, you can lose them - instead, be brief and focused in all of your communications. Doing so will enable your cast and crew to associate your words with meaning and purpose instead of chatter.

Thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe. 

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Ricki Stern is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and award-winning documentarian of multiple features and series. She's directed such projects as the Trials of Darryl Hunt, The Devil Came on Horseback, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, Surviving Jeffrey Epstein, and The Preppie Murders. Ricki's latest project is Surviving Death, a 6-part docu-series that explores ideas of life after death and psychic phenomena including mediums, paranormal activity, and reincarnation. Surviving Death is now streaming on Netflix, and I highly recommend it. It is definitely not horror, per se, but delves into matters of the supernatural in a very compelling and beautiful way. I binged through the entire series in a few days and was mesmerized the whole time. She's a dear friend, and I enjoyed speaking to her, so please enjoy this conversation with documentarian Ricki Stern.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Ricki.

Always convey information through the story. In the case of Surviving Death, Ricki wanted the movie to be rooted in wonder and mystery without trying to prove or disprove anything. There was an instance where one of the mediums she profiled was channeling information about a deceased person, which we later discovered was easily found on Facebook. This was discovered entirely through the client of the medium as opposed to Ricki herself.  Instead of coordinating her own investigation and intentionally trying to disprove or cast doubt on anything, this piece of evidence naturally uncovered itself, which allowed the story to feel more cohesive and organic, as opposed to like a piece of investigative journalism. This is a big distinction in documentaries; you can always tell which ones have a point to prove and which allow the viewer to form opinions on their own. The latter is always more interesting.

Feed your irrepressibility. Prior to directing her first feature, Ricki worked multiple day jobs but would always spend nights and weekends working on her own projects - mainly because she couldn't help herself. Ricki's drive to tell stories her own way was too strong for her not to moonlight as a director prior to getting an official green light, and in the end, one of those movies was nominated for an Emmy, launching her career. If you have the drive to tell stories, find a way to do it regardless of your circumstances - this drive is something to cherish and maintain because it will dull if you don't nourish it.

Flexibility is key. When shooting a documentary, it's always good to have a point of view and a sense of the story's structure, but don't be surprised if that story changes. When Ricki was shooting In My Corner, she was documenting the plight of two boxers who she thought would go on to the Olympics. When it became clear they wouldn't, she quickly had to regroup and find another lens through which to tell this story. This is a classic scenario in documentary filmmaking and how stories typically do not unfold as you intended - that's ok and can actually work in your favor sometimes, as was the case with Icarus and The Amazing Jonathan Documentary, both of which turned unexpected curveballs into majorly fascinating stories. Good documentarians embrace these curveballs and find the stories anyway.

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Monsterforge is an extremely exciting new production company specializing on monster related media across films, animation, games, comics, and even toys!

Monsterforge was founded by 30-Days of Night creator Steve Niles and artist/animator Shannon Eric Denton. The company is brand new, having launched in November, so I wanted to catch up with the guys about the founding of the company and what Monsterforge has in store for us all. I will give a heavy nerd alert up front because both of these guys were a blast to talk to, and we all geeked out pretty heavy on a number of things, including The Mandalorian. BUT, we get a really solid understanding of what it takes to launch a monster centric production company. All of this and so much more on today's episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show. Now, please give it up for Monsterforge founders Steve Niles and Shannon Eric Denton. 

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Welcome back to the Nick Taylor Horror Show! As we put the literal horror show of 2020 behind us, I felt it was important to kick off this year with an episode about someone we lost last year, who left a tremendous void in the horror community, and that, of course, is Stuart Gordon. 

To call Stuart a boundary pusher would be an understatement. Stuart taught entire generations of horror directors how not just to push boundaries but decimate them, and by doing so, show audiences the true power of horror. Stuart meant a lot of things to a lot of people, and one of the most recurring themes of conversations I've had with people about him is just how dedicated he was to mentorship and the craft of art. 

I was fortunate enough to have conducted one of the last interviews with Stuart last year, and I highly recommend listening to that conversation if you haven't already. My conversation with Stuart was right after he had written his autobiography so he was extremely reflective and was incredibly generous with his wisdom, so check that episode out if you have not already. It's great, and I was pinching myself the entire time.  

For this episode, I wanted to dig deeper into Stuart's prolific life by talking to some of those who were lucky enough to work with him. This episode features three separate conversations about Stuart with Brian Yuzna, Larry Fessenden, and Graham Skipper. Each person reflects on Stuart's life, his legacy, and what they learned from him, and I was really floored at how much insight came out of each of these conversations. Each interview turned out to be practical, revealing, and extremely fun.

So, with that in mind, I hope you enjoy these three conversations about the life and work of one of our fallen masters of horror, Stuart Gordon. I'm going to start with perhaps Stuart's closest collaborator, Brian Yuzna. 

Brian is a man who needs no introduction. A writer, director, producer, Brian Yuzna produced multiple movies that Stuart directed, including Reanimator, Dagon, From Beyond, and Dolls. Brian directed one of my personal favorite deep cuts, Society, which if you haven't seen, do yourself a favor and watch it, ideally with Joe Bob on Shudder. Brian also directed Bride of Reanimator, Silent Night Deadly Night 4, Beyond Reanimator, Return of the Living Dead 3, which is fucking insane and fantastic, and not enough people talk about it. 

Brian and Stuart have a famous collaboration and, in partnership with each other were responsible for some quintessential horror classics. As a duo, they were unstoppable and I was very fortunate to be able to speak with Brian in-depth about their collaboration. Without further ado, please enjoy this conversation with Brian Yuzna.

Larry Fessenden is an American director, producer, writer, and actor. Larry’s career highlights include Habit, Wendigo, The Last Winter, and 2019's Depraved. I always love talking to Larry. As far as indie filmmakers, Larry is such the real deal, and I like to call him the East Coast Corman because he's not only a prolific director but he's mentored and groomed multiple directors like Ti West, Jen Wexler, and Jim Mickle. Larry and Stuart never actually got to work together on a film, but for years had a number of projects that they were developing. This conversation was mostly about what Stuart inspired in Larry as a filmmaker, as well as some details about the lost projects they were working on that unfortunately never came to be. Lots of great wisdom here. Please enjoy this reflection on Stuart Gordon with the great Larry Fessenden. 

Graham Skipper is an American actor, director, and writer. He's directed multiple horror movies, including Space Clown and Sequence Break, now streaming on Shudder. He also reprised the role of Doctor Herbert West in Re-Animator: The Musical and starred in multiple Joe Begos movies, including Almost Human and The Mind's Eye. Graham worked very closely with Stuart on Reanimator the Musical and was lucky enough to have developed a close relationship with him. There are multiple wonderful lessons Graham learned from Stuart, and he was gracious enough to share them with me - so please enjoy this conversation with Graham Skipper.

Thanks again for listening!

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Lowell Dean is a Canadian writer and director perhaps best known for his lycanthropic cult classic WolfCop and its sequel Another WolfCop. Usually, I'm not a fan of movies that intentionally embrace campiness, but WolfCop is a different animal, well written, well-acted, great effects, lots of laughs, and overall a lot of fun and unmissable. WolfCop really has the spirit of the midnight monster movie and actually is the closest thing in spirit I've seen to Rob Zombie's Grindhouse concept Werewolf Women of the SS, which I'm still anxiously awaiting in vain along with Eli Roth's Thanksgiving. 

Perhaps the best way to see WolfCop is on Season 1 of The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs, now streaming on Shudder. 

Lowell and I talked about the making of WolfCop, his director origin story and major lessons learned from low-budget horror indie filmmaking on this episode of the Nick Taylor Horror Show. Now without further ado, here is WolfCop director Lowell Dean. 

Here as always, are some key takeaways from this conversation with Lowell Dean: 

Don't just come up with backup plans; communicate them. A lot of filmmakers talk about the importance of preparation and backup plans, particularly Roger Corman, but what doesn't get discussed enough is the importance of communicating your backup plans to your cast and crew. On WolfCop 2, there was an elaborate fight sequence that Lowell had originally budgeted 4 hours to shoot, but he told the stunt coordinator there was a chance they would only have 15 minutes to shoot it if the day got hectic, so to keep that in mind. Of course, to make their day, Lowell ended up having to shoot the scene in 15 minutes, and because of their previous conversation, the stunt coordinator knew exactly what to do, and they pulled it off pretty well. 

Movie making is constantly dancing with Murphys Law, and the job of a director is to make your day in spite of your circumstances. So, it's not only important to come up with plans a, b, c, and d, but to communicate them with everyone around you so that when the shit hits the fan, you all can correct course accordingly together, without having to regroup or anybody panicking - all of which costs precious production time. 

Be cognizant of who you ask for money. Not entirely sure if I agree with this 100%, but it's something to think about. When raising capital for his movies, Lowell avoids asking people in his circle of friends for money to avoid any potential harm to the relationship. This might seem counter-intuitive, but it's actually pretty smart. As you build your network as a filmmaker, you'll want to nourish it, and the quickest way to change a relationship is to ask someone for money. Be conscious of that, even if you have powerful and well-connected friends, that asking them for funding will change the relationship, and not always for the better. Instead of asking people in your immediate network for money, consider asking them for introductions to other people in their networks who may be able to fund your film. That creates a level of separation which can keep the friendship intact. 

The path is never straight, so aim for exposure. Lowell told a great story about pitching his zombie movie to a production company for a long, long time only to find out they were greenlighting someone else's zombie movie. Lowell was given the opportunity to shadow the other director as his assistant, and rather than say fuck that, I'm too good for this, Lowell jumped at the opportunity and inevitably ended up directing that movie himself. 

Clearly, nobody could have predicted this, but Lowell put himself in a position for experience and recognition, which is what you as a director must always be doing, particularly if you have zero IMDB credits. Whatever will get you on set and in front of producers is where you need to be going, so even if it feels beneath you, take every opportunity because the path you have in your mind for becoming a director is rarely the one that will work out. Jump at any opportunity that offers experience, education, recognition, or just proximity to real sets and real filmmakers.

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe and follow the show on Instagram at @IMNickTaylor and on Twitter at the same handle. 

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Welcome back to the Nick Taylor Horror Show!

Stephen Chiodo is an American writer, director, and special effects makeup artist and one of the legendary Chiodo Brothers. The Chiodo Brothers are a trio of special effects and stop motion artists and animators best known for their work on Team America: World Police, Critters, and Killer Klowns from Outer Space which Stephen also directed. The Chiodos also created the claymation sequences for the Large Marge scene from Pee-wee's Big Adventure, as well as the stop-motion elements in the North Pole scenes from Elf. 

Stephen’s latest feature is Alien Xmas, an animated feature that he directed. When extraterrestrials attempt to steal Earth's gravity, only the gift-giving spirit of Christmas and a small Alien named X can save the world. Executive Produced by Jon Favreau, don't forget to check out Alien Xmas this holiday season, now streaming on Netflix. 

Also on today’s episode is none other than the one and only Cig Neutron. Cig is no stranger to the show and like Stephen is also a special effects makeup artist, director, and creature designer. 

Cig has done effects work on multiple movies including Tron Legacy, Suckerpunch, and Star Trek Discovery, and was on Face/Off's season 7 then again on season 11 as one of the Face/Off allstars. 

Cig also hosts a podcast that I really love called Cig Neutron's Spewtron, available everywhere, and he does a pretty cool series of livestreams on Twitch where he breaks down his effects techniques so if you’re not already, make sure you follow Cig Neutron on all of the social medias. 

We had a pretty wide-ranging conversation. Both of these guys are really fascinating and accomplished artists -  we got into everything from creative processes, to practical effects and geeked out about favorite new artists, shows, and movies so get ready for recommendations. Quick note that this interview was done back in May. I hope you all enjoy this conversation with Stephen and Cig as much as I did. 

Here without further ado are Stephen Chiodo and Cig Neutron. 

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe, and follow the show on Instagram at @IMNickTaylor and on Twitter at the same handle. 

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Justin Dyck is a Canadian director who just released Anything for Jackson, now streaming on Shudder. Anything for Jackson is definitely one of my favorite horror films of the year - it really delivers the goods. It’s scary, funny, emotionally poignant, and an extremely unique and different take on ghosts and demons. All in all, it’s a hell of a time and I highly recommend it.

Ironically enough, Justin made Anything for Jackson after making a large number of commercial family films in Canada, which despite the genre really paved the way for his technical abilities as a director. We talk more about Justin’s backstory, the making of Anything for Jackson, and how he pulled off the movie’s fantastic creature effects in today’s episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show. Now, without further ado here is Justin Dyck. 

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Justin Dyck. 

• Tap into the economy of experience. This is a common theme among indie filmmakers but it bears repeating. One of the keys to achieving high production value on a low budget movie is to tap into people’s yearning for experience. Justin was able to get a killer DP for Anything for Jackson for less than his usual fee because he wanted more diverse IMDB credits. This rule also can apply to actors; Justin cast a bunch of very experienced TV actors, whose experience on very big shows tended to get and boring while his indie horror movie offered them a fun and fresh experience so they signed on for substantially less than their usual fee. The movie also offered them an opportunity for more focused screen time which is important for actors as well. Doing this effectively all boils down to the experience you can provide to your cast and crew. If you can’t pay a lot, you have to make it worth their while by going out of your way to make the experience valuable and enjoyable. So find resourceful ways for your movie to provide high-value people opportunities to learn, to do something different, get more exposure, or just to have fun. 
• There’s humor in realism. There are a number of humorous moments in Anything for Jackson, and they were so natural that they seemed unintentional. The way Justin described the movie’s funny moments was by comparing them to Cohen Brothers movies, where you have ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances which is really on display in Fargo. Observing how real, every-day people respond to crazy scenarios creates a juxtaposition that’s naturally humorous. Justin also cited Blue Ruin as a prime example of this, which I highly recommend. So, if you’re looking to raise the levity of your horror film by using humor, it can be as simple as adding a dose of realism by being truthful. This will let the laughs shine through in very natural but unexpected ways. 
• Don't turn down any opportunities. Justin entered the industry wanting to make horror movies but was instead, offered the opportunity to direct a family film. Instead of thumbing his nose at the opportunity, he took it because he knew that the experience would be valuable for him as a director. Justin did such a great job on that movie that he ended up being asked to direct multiple other family movies. Despite the fact that these were not necessarily the movies he wanted to be directing, making them became his day job, where he was able to learn countless lessons about working with actors, the pace of the set, camera equipment, and the technical sides of directing. He also built a killer network of crew members, producers, and actors. As far as day jobs go, this is a dream come true for any aspiring filmmaker, because when it came time to direct Anything for Jackson, Justin was able to draw from years of very hands-on experience and executed a great movie with very smooth production. This is a serious reason to consider saying yes to opportunities that are not exactly what you’re looking for at the time because they can make you a better filmmaker.  

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe, and follow the show on Instagram at @IMNickTaylor and on Twitter at the same handle. 

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Here today, we have the president of Blumhouse TV, Jeremy Gold. Jeremy manages Blumhouse's portfolio of scripted and unscripted TV series, documentaries, and streaming movies. Since coming to Blumhouse in 2016, Jeremy has expanded the Blumhouse brand beyond horror content to explore not only genre material but also dark, provocative subject matter.

Jeremy has worked on such projects as Sharp Objects, multiple films under Blumhouse’s Welcome to the Blumhouse series and previously worked on such major TV hits as Hell on Wheels and Kingdom. Jeremy's upcoming projects include the Showtime limited series The Good Lord Bird, based on the novel by James McBride and starring Ethan Hawke, and FX docuseries A Wilderness of Error, from Marc Smerling, based on the book by Errol Morris.

Blumhouse as a business is very fascinating, and since it’s important for horror directors to be exposed to the business side of filmmaking, I’m going to open the interview format up to include not just directors & creators, but executives who work in horror as well. This interview with Jeremy is a great starting point for that and should provide a very good executive perspective on Blumhouse, specifically their TV department. I’ve said multiple times that as an aspiring filmmaker, Blumhouse TV is definitely a company to keep directly on your radar because they are giving a lot of new and emerging directors a chance to direct features and TV episodes through Blumhouse television.  

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Tate Steinsiek is an award-winning special effects makeup artist, writer, and director who's highly anticipated Castle Freak reimagining launches today on Shudder!

Tate has worked on multiple films, including Spiderman, Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich, Scare Package, Satanic Panic, Sharknado 2, and Dragged Across Concrete. Tate is also a mainstay effects artist on shows like Saturday Night Live, Law & Order, and multiple titles on The Discovery Channel. Tate is a two-time finalist on FACE OFF, in both Seasons 1 & 5 and one of the show's most beloved contestants.

I've known Tate for years and have been a huge fan of his work. His style is one of the most interesting and recognizable of today's practical effects artists and I have been dying to see his reimagining of Castle Freak since it was announced back at Monsterpalooza. The production stories behind the making of Castle Freak are completely insane. While shooting in Albania, where apparently horror movies are very frowned upon, the team tried to hide the subject matter of their movie, but unfortunately, the actor playing the freak, wearing the full freak bodysuit, briefly went outside in the creature suit and caused multiple local villagers to call in extraterrestrial sightings. Yeah, it was that crazy, and Tate gets into it in this conversation. Anyhow, he's my brother from another mother, and I always love talking to him; without further ado, here is the awesome & fantastically talented Tate Steinsiek.

• Deliver the gore without the blood. This is an interesting point that Tate observed from working with S. Craig Zahler. On a lot of Zahler's movies, as brutal as they get, they're not always very bloody. This is perhaps most noticeable in Brawl in Cell Block 99, and the effect is actually quite chilling. When you don't have blood to cover everything thing up with, the audience can observe even more visceral nuances like bones crunching, sinew snapping, internal organs being pulverized, etc. Tate attended the Tom Savini School, so he knows blood, but this bloodless approach to gore was something he was inspired by. I love a blood bath just as much as the next guy, but as a horror director, it's important to learn how to innovate and do things a little differently, so don't be so quick to douse everything in blood; less can be more.

• Surround yourself with people that you trust. Filmmaking, particularly low budget filmmaking, is putting yourself at the mercy of Murphy's law - things will inevitably go wrong. As a director, it's important to realize that you’re one person, and you’re incapable of making all of the decisions and executing all of the quick thinking required to address all of the many problems that will plague your production. To try is to quickly & easily burn out and make yourself crazy. Therefore, it's critical to have a crew of people whose opinions you value and who you trust overall to make the decisions for you that will keep your movie on track. Unfortunately, many film sets are plagued with toxic egos, backstabbers, too many opinions, and even saboteurs - all of which can collectively zap everyone's energy and erode the very foundation of your movie. Tate's been working on movies for many, many years and luckily had a number of trusty contacts to call on when it came time to make Castle Freak. It takes a while to find these people, of course, but once you do, do not let them go and treat them like gold. They can make or break your movie and give your production a flow, a speed, and a stability that you simply cannot accomplish by yourself.

• Enjoy the tough times. Tate talks about how directing is firing on all cylinders because it taps every single ounce of energy, creativity, reserve that you have. To Tate, this is a wonderful feeling and something to embrace. One thing you notice as Tate talks through all the trials and tribulations that happened on the Castle Freak shoot, he’s never ever complaining. He's never annoyed or resentful for the difficult times; instead, he has gratitude for every ounce of difficulty that this movie presented him with. That's what filmmaking is. As a director, your worth is not always calculated by the quality of the movie that you make but by the severity of the challenges you were able to overcome. That's what a lot of producers look for in directors, is problem solvers. When production challenges present themselves, are you going to buckle under the pressure or prove that you have an iron reserve? Despite the difficulties of the Castle Freak shoot, Tate embraced the growth the experience provided him with. He'd worked on enough movies to expect the journey to be difficult, so he loved every single painstaking minute of the process because he knew it was making him a better director. 

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe. 

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Ok, guys, we’re going non-horror this time around! Ian and Eshom Nelms are the brotherly directorial duo behind FATMAN - an edgy and vision of Santa Claus that has St. Nick a grizzled and seasoned Mel Gibson who comes under a vicious attack by a hired hitman played by Walt Goggins. The film is a complete and total miraculous genre concoction of humor, thriller, and holiday cheer that doesn’t take its foot off the pedal for a second. 

This conversation is a little different and features essentially a long-form origin story behind the Nelms Brothers career, who very graciously told me their entire story. It is a must-listen. Their story is a fundamental filmmaker’s journey, and they get into the detail of all of the twists, turns, and lessons along their career path that began with a $1,500 feature and ultimately led them to the making of FATMAN, their most personal and ambitious project to date. So many great stories in here, I really think you will enjoy this one. 

Please enjoy this very enlightening conversation with Ian and Eshom Nelms.

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Alright, we’re doing things a little bit differently this time around; on this episode, I have four very brief interviews with each director who made a film for Welcome to the Blumhouse. As a collaboration between Blumhouse Productions and Amazon Studios, Welcome to the Blumhouse is a slate of feature films showcasing diverse casts, female and emerging filmmakers with a focus on family dramas. All four of the movies I’m discussing are currently streaming on Amazon Prime, so check them out there. 

Amazon launched the initial four Welcome to the Blumhouse movies as double features back in October, while four additional Welcome to the Blumhouse films will launch in 2021.

In this episode, we get a deep dive into four different perspectives on working within the  Blumhouse system. Blumhouse is becoming a very exciting ecosystem for aspiring filmmakers. With their robust production slate across TV and film, Blumhouse is taking more and more chances on first-time directors and lesser-known voices, and in their Blumhouse style is giving all of their directors a ton of creative control, making them a brand that’s really worth paying attention to. 

Below are the directors I interviewed. 

Veena Sud

Veena Sud is a writer, producer, and director, perhaps best known for developing the television drama The Killing, now streaming on Netflix. Veena was also behind Seven Seconds and the Quibi horror web series, The Stranger.

Veena’s latest project is The Lie, starring Joey King, Peter Sarsgaard, and Mierille Enos, and tells the story of two separated parents who have to navigate protecting their daughter after she murders her best friend.

Veena is a TV industry veteran, and I’m probably not supposed to say this but, her movie was my favorite of the Welcome to the Blumhouse films, so definitely check out The Lie. 

Dassani Brothers 

Elan Dassani & Rajeev Dassani are the brotherly directorial duo behind Evil Eye, a horror-thriller that takes place between America and India. 

Evil Eye tells the story of a young woman from a traditional Indian family whose mother believes that her new boyfriend is the reincarnation of a man who tried to kill her 30 years ago. The movie delivers the scares while pulling on heartstrings and crafting a family drama that is both authentic and relatable while being chilling all the while. 

We hear about the brother’s directorial origin stories, working with Blumhouse, and details about the making of Evil Eye.  

Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour

Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour, Jr. is the director behind Black Box, a thriller feature starring Mamoudou Athie, Phylicia Rashad, Amanda Christine. Black Box tells the story of a single father who awakens after a car accident with no long-term memory and a vacant memory of his past life. After undergoing an agonizing experimental treatment, he begins to unravel the truth behind who he really is and the implications that will have on his young daughter.

Black Box effortlessly interweaves elements of thriller, sci-fi, and horror with a compelling family drama at its core. All of which are complemented by deeply compelling performances by the cast.

In this interview, we hear director Emmanuel discuss working for Blumhouse, lessons learned from his first feature, and much more.  Here is Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour.

Zu Quirke

Zu Quirke is a British writer/director. Her short films have played in festivals up and down the UK as well as internationally. Zu’s first feature, NOCTURNE, tells a story about the ruthlessly competitive world of classical musicians. Inside the halls of an elite arts academy, an incredibly gifted pianist makes a Faustian bargain to overtake her older sister. What could possibly go wrong? Enjoyed this conversation with Zu and think you will as well. 

Thank you as always for listening! 

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Produced by Simpler Media

Alright, we’re doing things a little bit differently this time around; on this episode, I have four very brief interviews with each director who made a film for Welcome to the Blumhouse. As a collaboration between Blumhouse Productions and Amazon Studios, Welcome to the Blumhouse is a slate of feature films showcasing diverse casts, female and emerging filmmakers with a focus on family dramas. All four of the movies I’m discussing are currently streaming on Amazon Prime, so check them out there. 

Amazon launched the initial four Welcome to the Blumhouse movies as double features back in October, while four additional Welcome to the Blumhouse films will launch in 2021.

In this episode, we get a deep dive into four different perspectives on working within the  Blumhouse system. Blumhouse is becoming a very exciting ecosystem for aspiring filmmakers. With their robust production slate across TV and film, Blumhouse is taking more and more chances on first-time directors and lesser-known voices, and in their Blumhouse style is giving all of their directors a ton of creative control, making them a brand that’s really worth paying attention to. 

Below are the directors I interviewed. 

Veena Sud

Veena Sud is a writer, producer, and director, perhaps best known for developing the television drama The Killing, now streaming on Netflix. Veena was also behind Seven Seconds and the Quibi horror web series, The Stranger.

Veena’s latest project is The Lie, starring Joey King, Peter Sarsgaard, and Mierille Enos, and tells the story of two separated parents who have to navigate protecting their daughter after she murders her best friend.

Veena is a TV industry veteran, and I’m probably not supposed to say this but, her movie was my favorite of the Welcome to the Blumhouse films, so definitely check out The Lie. 

Dassani Brothers 

Elan Dassani & Rajeev Dassani are the brotherly directorial duo behind Evil Eye, a horror-thriller that takes place between America and India. 

Evil Eye tells the story of a young woman from a traditional Indian family whose mother believes that her new boyfriend is the reincarnation of a man who tried to kill her 30 years ago. The movie delivers the scares while pulling on heartstrings and crafting a family drama that is both authentic and relatable while being chilling all the while. 

We hear about the brother’s directorial origin stories, working with Blumhouse, and details about the making of Evil Eye.  

Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour

Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour, Jr. is the director behind Black Box, a thriller feature starring Mamoudou Athie, Phylicia Rashad, Amanda Christine. Black Box tells the story of a single father who awakens after a car accident with no long-term memory and a vacant memory of his past life. After undergoing an agonizing experimental treatment, he begins to unravel the truth behind who he really is and the implications that will have on his young daughter.

Black Box effortlessly interweaves elements of thriller, sci-fi, and horror with a compelling family drama at its core. All of which are complemented by deeply compelling performances by the cast.

In this interview, we hear director Emmanuel discuss working for Blumhouse, lessons learned from his first feature, and much more.  Here is Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour.

Zu Quirke

Zu Quirke is a British writer/director. Her short films have played in festivals up and down the UK as well as internationally. Zu’s first feature, NOCTURNE, tells a story about the ruthlessly competitive world of classical musicians. Inside the halls of an elite arts academy, an incredibly gifted pianist makes a Faustian bargain to overtake her older sister. What could possibly go wrong? Enjoyed this conversation with Zu and think you will as well. 

Thank you as always for listening! 

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Jordan Downey is the writer/director of The Head Hunter, one of my favorite horror movies of 2018, and now streaming on Shudder. One of the remarkable things about The Head Hunter was how resourceful it was. Considering the fact that it was an ultra low budget movie, it is extremely ambitious in terms of scope, and world-building, but while still portraying a tightly structured and intimate story about a medieval monster hunter.

This is a pretty fascinating balance that Jordan pulled off and one worth studying. Everyone says your first movie should not be a period piece, should not have elaborate effects, and certainly should not include horses. Jordan did all 3 in The Head Hunter, and still kept the budget super duper low and delivered a kick-ass movie in the end.

The Head Hunter is a serious case study for effective low budget filmmaking. Even if you've seen it,  it's really worth a re-watch for the fun of the movie, and for observing its simplicity & elegance in terms of directing and how much Jordan was able to get away with while spending so little.

This was a very interesting conversation with some killer lessons in low budget filmmaking. Here as always are some key lessons from this conversation with Jordan Downey. 

Think: big scale, small scope. There's a real balancing act to simultaneously building an ambitious & fantastical world while maintaining a tight focus but it can be a really a magical combination. Jordan created such a vast world of medieval warriors, monsters, and complex systems of alchemy, but the story was so elegantly simple. For a low budget movie, the world-building was extremely ambitious and it worked beautifully because the largely single character focus was so tight & stripped down. On a lot of low budget movies, directors sometimes try to go too big with their world-building and end up in that no man's land of campy. This is not where you want to be.

One of the ways that Jordan was able to pull this off was by thoroughly defining the world his characters lived in well beyond what was in the script and on the screen. It may seem unnecessary to do all of this development of things that never show up on the screen, but their presence and existence are still known to the viewer. By doing this, you're able to create a world that lives and breathes beyond the seams of the movie, and the audience can always tell. It's a funny, subconscious thing but it's absolutely true

With a low budget, high concept, your high concept needs to work and this is by developing it and understanding everything you can about the world your characters are living in. Freaks & The Endless also do a great job of executing a highly ambitious amount of world-building on a tight budget.

There really is no excuse. $4 grand. That's what Jordan's first movie, Thankilling cost - and it was a feature! The movie was picked up by a reputable distribution company called Veritas Ventures and paved the way for his next movie. So, a recurring theme I've seen in speaking to directors is that you're never really supposed to have enough money, to do anything. You are not supposed to have a smooth production. Ever. The job of directing is to overcome every single conceivable challenge and obstacle and make the movie despite your circumstances, not because of them. 4 grand. Easily acquired with credit card debt. As Jordan and many directors before him have said. It really is a matter of just doing it.

Give people their first chance. On The Head Hunter, Jordan got a killer costume designer who was able to deliver way above the budget of the movie, substantially boosting the believability of this world and therefore the production value. The interesting thing was that this costume designer had never done a movie before, but had perfected his craft by creating costumes for cosplayers and Larping - that sounds so dirty, but stands for Live Action Role Playing. This dude was exceptionally talented and was stoked by the opportunity to do a movie, so he was not only affordable but he completely over-delivered. Finding these creative win-wins that leverage the opportunity to work on your movie can really bump up your production value substantially. 

In the throes of pre-production, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that making a movie is fucking cool - and so many talented people are DYING to work in film - don’t feel the need to be limited to people with experience. Finding talented newcomers can bring you some fresh approaches and a ton of energy - they'll deliver, and appreciate the opportunity and their passion can move mountains on your movie. It probably goes without saying though, that it's not ok to exploit people - so if you can't afford to pay people what they're worth at the time of production, always make it up to them and make it worth their while. Either with deferred pay or by giving them a piece of the movie. 

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Oz Rodriguez is a writer and director who started his career in comedy, having written and directed for Funny or Die and Saturday Night Live, where he’s been for multiple years. Oz just put out his very first feature, Vampires vs. The Bronx, now streaming on Netflix. Vampires vs. the Bronx pits a group of young kids from the Bronx against a ruthless gang of vampires who try to take over their neighborhood. It’s super fun and scary while also delivering highly potent commentary on the devastating effects of gentrification. 

Vampires vs. the Bronx really reminded me of the movies that I grew up on as a kid, and I know for a fact that this is about to become a gateway horror staple for this generation. I really loved his movie and really enjoyed talking to him -- please give it up for writer/director Oz Rodriguez. 

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Oz Rodriguez. 

• Consider learning comedy. There are a lot of parallels and structural similarities between comedy and horror - both are basically based on a system of set-ups and payoffs, and the two genres can even work well together. Oz has a background in comedy, which was a definite leg up for him when it came time to write and direct his first horror movie. He also was able to effortlessly imbue comedy into the horror, which worked really, really well for Vampires vs the Bronx. Consider developing your comedic ability, either through comedic writing, directing, improv, or standup. Heightened comedic awareness may greatly elevate your ability to craft effective horror. It worked for Oz, and it also worked pretty well for Jordan Peele.

• Cold emails can change your life. At the beginning of his career, Oz sent a cold email, actually a cold DM on Twitter, to Adam McKay at Funny or Die. Adam liked Oz's material and gave him a job, which ultimately led to him getting on Saturday Night Live. A lot of would-be filmmakers get stuck in the trap of thinking they need to be invited, or they need to be ‘discovered’ or that they need representation in order to pitch themselves. This is not true, and this is how you can waste years of your life just waiting around. Nobody will care more about your career than you, so it’s critical that you get in the habit of pitching yourself to people you don't know through cold calls and cold emails. Yes, of course, it’s uncomfortable, but it’s worth it. If you’re nervous about how to do this, consider reading some sales books. Also, consider getting an IMDB pro account, which gives you contact information for tons of influential people. Of course, a lot of companies refuse to look at unsolicited materials, but hey, why not give it a try anyway. The worst they can do is say no, but imagine what could happen if they say yes. Many important people are constantly on the lookout for new voices; why shouldn't it be you? But they’ll never know who you are if you don’t start knocking on their doors, so get those cold emails out. 

• Read Robert Rodriguez’s book and Steven Soderbergh's. It’s very important to read up on the biographies of filmmakers that you admire so that you can have a career formula to model as well as insight as to how the business itself actually works. It’s also very important to read books that make the actual process of breaking into filmmaking practical and approachable. In Rebel Without a Crew by Robert Rodriguez and Getting Away With it by Steven Soderburgh, both filmmakers tell their origin stories in detail, and in both cases, you see how these were just regular guys who went on to become major Hollywood players. Yes, there was lots of toil, hard work, and luck in the process, but in both books, the guys sound like mere mortals, and their journeys into stardom are humanized to the point where you can’t help but think to yourself, 'maybe I can do this too.' Admittedly I haven’t read Soderbergh's book yet, but I just bought it on Amazon. I have read Robert Rodriguez’s Rebel without a Crew multiple times, and it’s a must-read.  

Thanks for listening!!!

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Ryan Spindell is a writer-director who recently made his feature debut with the fantastic horror anthology, The Mortuary Collection, now streaming on Shudder. Mortuary Collection blends all of the nostalgic elements of anthologies like Tales from the Crypt, Bodybags & Creepshow with spooky atmospheric nods to vintage horror, all while packing a serious punch with its comedy, storytelling, and overall dedication. Sam Raimi has been a very outspoken fan of Mortuary Collection which currently holds a 96% percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Beyond that, this is without a doubt one of my favorite movies of 2020. It’s a must-see. 

Ryan and I discussed the long 7-year journey for getting this movie made and did a fair amount of geeking out along the way. There are some killer lessons here and I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Ryan Spindell. 

Choose where to invest wisely. Ryan spent a substantial portion of Mortuary Collection's budget on production design and you can very clearly see this as money well spent on the screen as the movie has a very detailed and beautifully designed handcrafted look to it. In order to make this investment, Ryan did have to take money away from some other parts of the movie’s budget. Ryan shot less coverage and had to do fewer takes, but as a result of the investment, the movie has a killer look to it and nobody noticed the lack of coverage or fewer takes. So take note of the fact that there are parts of your budget that you can cut without the audience noticing it. If you want one part of your movie to stand out, figure out where you can cut the budget and invest in it. 

It never hurts to ask. Mortuary Collection had some pretty great centerpiece practical effects in it which were done by Amalgamated Dynamics. Amalgamated Dynamics, also known as Studio ADI, is a legendary effects company that does hundred million dollar movies like Jurassic World, IT, The Predator, and other enormous blockbusters. They were clearly an effects studio that was well outside of Ryan’s budget but, he cold emailed them and in the end, they agreed to do the movie, despite the lack of budget. 

This is a big testament to the fact that so many movies, particularly low budget movies, come together because of a bunch of mini-miracles. I’ve heard many stories about indie filmmakers with a no-budget movie who approach someone well above their budget and somehow persuade them to get involved. When it comes to making this happen, it’s important to remember that the real currency here is passion. 

To get someone out of your league to do your movie, they have to be passionate about your project, and they have to see your passion. A lot of people in Hollywood, particularly established players, are tired of working within the studio system and hunger for something new, fun, and different that reminds them why they got in the business in the first place. If your project can give them this opportunity, you might have a shot of getting someone on board who can boost the quality of your project by a quantum leap. This is why it never hurts to ask. So aim for the fences and make those big unreasonable pie in the sky requests, the worst people can do is say no but the best that can happen is they say yes.

You need an asset.  Getting Mortuary Collection made was a very long road. One of the keys that opened doors to Ryan was the short that he shot for The Babysitter Murders. Ryan Kickstarted the short which acted as a critical asset for him when he was pitching the movie because he had a tangible sample of what the rest of the movie would look and feel like. If you pitch your movie to people by sending them a script, I hate to say it but there’s a good chance they will not read it. But when you have something that somebody can watch that demonstrates your voice, your vision, and your ability to execute, it can be pretty helpful. 

This is yet another case for shorts as well as a case for just getting started. Have something in the can that shows that you’re the real deal because collaborators and investors want to know that they’re working with somebody who can finish the project. So figure out what your asset for your project is and make it. There’s a good chance it will open doors for you. 

Don’t listen to the masses. When Ryan first set out to make the Mortuary Collection he was told by his reps that nobody likes anthology movies, they don't make money, and that he should abandon the project. First of all, this hatred for sub-genres seems to happen more in horror than any other genre. First people were shitting on found footage, then horror comedies and now horror anthologies - don't listen to any of it. Yes, it’s important to consider the marketability of your movie, but most of this thinking is short-sighted. As we all know, horror anthologies are making a huge comeback now, and there was even an article in the times about how it’s the heyday for horror anthologies. Had Ryan listened to the naysayers, he’d missed out on this golden era for horror anthologies and we would have been cheated out of Mortuary Collection. So let the haters hate, and make your movie anyway. 

Thanks again for listening!

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Tony D’Aquino is an Australian filmmaker who made his directorial debut last year with The Furies, now streaming on Shudder. The Furies is a bloodbath daylight slasher extravaganza, with strong nods to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre but with a modern twist. In this conversation, we hear about Tony’s director origin story, the making of Furies, and major lessons learned from his first movie. Now without further ado, here is Furies director Tony D’Aquino. 

Alright. Here as always, are some key takeaways from this conversation with Tony D’Aquino. 

1. Prepare, prepare, prepare. For low budget movies, when time is money and every minute counts, you have zero time to think through decisions on set and therefore have to have pre-decided everything as far ahead of time as possible. This means taking the time to review worst-case scenarios during pre-production so you can anticipate whatever could go wrong on set and have backup plans at the ready. This is a critical lesson that all of Roger Corman’s disciples carried with them, and it’s a major lesson Tony learned making The Furies. Furthermore, on the topic of decision making, there's a real condition called decision fatigue whereby your brain becomes incapable of making decisions after it’s reached a decision threshold. According to neuroscience, making decisions is the most cognitively taxing function your brain can perform. The more decisions you make throughout the course of the day, the less effective you will be at making decisions later on. So be conscious of your decision budget and save that brainpower for the hard things that come up while shooting instead of the small details. This all comes down to prep, so make sure you’re over-prepared every day. Listen to my conversations with Joe Dante and Roger Corman for more about the importance of preparation. 

• 90% of the film is casting. Tony spent a lot of time, effort, and energy on casting The Furies because he know that in order for his horror film to work, the acting had to be excellent. Of course, horror has a schlocky side with very cheesy acting and has a reputation amongst outsiders for not requiring good acting - but this isn’t true; you need great actors, or else your movie will fall flat - nobody will care about your character and it will not be scary. Fear is an extremely complex emotion to display on camera, and in a horror movie, it’s one of the most important emotions for your actors to get right. So double down your focus on casting. Also, spend time talking to and getting to know your actors before you cast them because you will ultimately be in very high-pressure scenarios with them and will need to know that you’ll get along and that they’re reliable. Eli Roth will often speak to other directors who have worked with the actors he’s considering casting to find out about their conduct on set, which is an extremely simple but important thing to do. Eli Roth also mentioned that in terms of having a harmonious set, it’s best to cast actors who are either brand new to acting or notably famous, as those who are in-between being a newcomer and famous "will fuck your movie up." This is a lesson that Umberto Lenzi told Eli personally. So consider all of this when casting.

• Mistakes are good. Ok, going to start this one off with a semi spoiler alert: there’s an extremely brutal scene in The Furies where a woman’s entire face gets cut off with an axe - it’s filmed in broad daylight, and it’s so frighteningly real that it shocks even a weathered horror fan like myself. It even won FANGORIA’s best kill award last year. This award-winning shot was done entirely practically, and Tony mentioned that the prosthetic even malfunctioned and split in the wrong direction in the middle of the take. But somehow, it looked better that way. When you watch this scene, it looks perfect, which clearly illustrates that when it comes to practical effects Imperfection is way more realistic and therefore mistakes can be a good thing. Nothing in nature is ever perfect or symmetrical, so if your effects don’t look perfect, it adds to both the charm and the realism. This goes for multiple art forms, by the way. So embrace mistakes and be receptive to these happy accidents as they can make your movies even better. 

• Stop stressing. Tony made a very interesting point about how if he could have done the whole movie over again, he would have enjoyed it more and worried less. Of course, when making a movie, you have to think through every possible thing that can go wrong - see point number one. And it goes without saying that you have to deal with a lot of stressful situations on set. But as Tony says, you can waste so much energy worrying, where instead try to focus that energy on solving problems ahead of time or focus that energy on being grateful for the opportunity you have right in front of you. Not to get too metaphysical, but, gratitude is the one emotion that makes you incapable of feeling fear or anger, which are the most destructive things a director can feel on set. So do what you can to transcend your natural proclivity to worry, but furthermore enjoy the process. You’re making a movie, you neurotic fuck! You should be overjoyed! Allow yourself to feel that joy and feel that pride, but don't get cocky or sloppy. 

Thank you as always for listening! 

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Stick to your guns.

At the beginning stages of pitching The Au Pair Nightmare, Joe was offered a deal for the movie, but only if he changed a major plot point. Typically someone in the position of making their first feature would grab the first deal that came their way, regardless of the consequences, but not Joe. Joe pushed back on the change from the producer and even offered to walk away. Ultimately, the producer noticed how much he cared about his story and did the deal anyway, allowing Joe to keep the original concept in the script. 

There are a number of things to be learned here. One, it’s critical to stick to your vision. Yes, movie making is all about compromises, and you inevitably will have to stray from your original vision a little bit for producers, but at the same time, your movie has to remain your movie. Producers are always testing the directors they consider working with. In this case, the producer was impressed by Joe’s willingness to fiercely stick to his original vision because this conviction is indicative of the kind of strength and commitment directors need to have on set. That alone told this investor that Joe was a worthwhile investment. So make compromises when you have to, but try to stick to your vision as much as possible. 

Build a tribe of mentors. 

Joe is in the very fortunate position to work closely with Mick Garris and is involved in Mick’s Podcast, where he interviews some of the greatest names in horror history. As such, Joe gets exposure and access to not only Mick but some of the other greatest minds in horror. This gives Joe a huge advantage in being able to ask people like Joe Dante for advice on his own projects. It’s a rare situation to be in, but if you can find a way to connect with other directors who you can turn to for advice on your own projects, do it. 

Follow your gut.

At a pivotal moment in Joe’s career, one of the critical pieces of advice Mick Garris gave Joe was to follow his gut when it came to selecting & developing projects. Instead of being a careerist who takes what’s given to him, Mick advised Joe to follow the stories that he was naturally drawn to, and that makes all the difference in many movie careers. 

When directors are making movies that they’re not really passionate about, the audience can always tell, and it makes for dreadful cinema. On the other hand, you can also tell when directors are truly passionate about what they’re making with the level of care and enthusiasm that often jumps off of the screen. Furthermore, directors naturally will work harder when they care about the story, so learn to follow your gut towards what you’re passionate about - it’ll always make your movies better.

Dig deeper.

A piece of advice that Mick gave to Joe was to always dig deeper into the horror element to find real, relatable emotion. Joe took this very seriously when developing the Au Pair Nightmare, which could have been a very straightforward thriller but instead had this entire level of psychological depth. Concepts like obsession & psychopathology are fascinating to explore, and this embed the Au Pair Nightmare with a real spirit of psychosis. Always take the time to dig further beneath the surface of your characters as doing so will make them more interesting, relatable, and will ultimately make the horror & thriller elements work even better. 

Direct for Lifetime. As Joe Bob Briggs mentioned, one of the only companies putting out exploitation cinema these days is Lifetime. Au Pair was a little on the tame side of outlandishness, but when you look at the plots for some Lifetime movies, you’ll soon realize they are entirely modern exploitation cinema. In addition to Joe, Rebekah Mckendry’s movies have also premiered on Lifetime as well. So when you’re pitching that scandalous thriller, consider sending it to Lifetime; they’re quickly & covertly becoming an exploitation powerhouse.  

Thank you for listening to The Nick Taylor Horror Show!

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Eric Powell is a writer, artist, and creator of multiple award-winning graphic novels including Hillbilly, Chimichanga, and my favorite comic of all time, The Goon. I’ve been looking forward to speaking to Eric for a while. 

His work is sensational and mixes a potent combination of horror, pulp fiction, film noir, and fart jokes into fun & poignant stories with compelling characters and exceptionally beautiful artwork. When you read through a book from The Goon or from Hillbilly, you will marvel in awe at how Eric is able to not only write all of that wonderful dialogue but create all of this sophisticated and incredible art in every issue. If you haven’t read The Goon or Hillbilly books yet, do yourself a favor and grab some of them on Amazon, I promise you won’t be disappointed. Even if you don’t consider yourself a graphic novel fan, just get some. 

Eric has been putting out The Goon for over twenty years and has been working on a film adaptation with David Fincher and Tim Miller for quite some time. You can see the very exciting proof of concept on Kickstarter.

When you observe the volume of Eric’s creative output, it’s pretty incredible and inspiring, I had to know how he did it. We get into this as well as comics, creative theory, writing processes and so much more, on this very fun episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show. 

Now please welcome, Eric Powell. 

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Yann Gonzalez is a French filmmaker who made his feature debut with You & The Night and followed it up with his incredible tour de force second act, Knife + Heart. 

On top of being a breath of fresh air of originality in the horror genre, I think I will dare to say that Knife + Heart might be one of the best, if not the best neo-giallo ever made. To me, it didn’t just nostalgically pay homage to the giallo genre; it modernized it and deeply personalized it. 

This movie was miraculous to me - hypnotic, scary, emotionally poignant, and entirely new and different, and I think it was one of the best movies of last year. It really blew me away, which is why I was so excited to get to speak to Yann. 

We get into Yann’s director origin story, the importance of tapping your unconscious as a director, as well as the difficulty of establishing strong creative bonds with key collaborators. All of this and so much more on this very wide-ranging episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show. Now please welcome, director of Knife Plus Heart, Yann Gonzalez. 

Big thanks, Yann, for being with us today - he is such a fascinating and infectiously passionate visionary, and it was very inspiring to talk to him, and I’m so psyched to see what he does next. 

Here as always, are some key takeaways from this conversation with Yann Gonzales:

Don't do anything for free. Knife Plus Heart is just saturated with colored lighting, elaborately beautiful imagery, perfectly framed shots, and unadulterated gorgeousness. But, it all serves the story. Yann talked about how he arrived at the look of the film with his DP by describing the moods he wanted to create. In many cases, the colorfully lit shots were reflective of the emotion of the scene that was taking place, so it all coalesced even better into a mood that served the story. 

There’s a world of difference between style for style sake and a production design that’s purposeful and in synch with the rest of the movie. Having elements in your movie that look pretty but don’t have a deeper meaning may increase your perceived production value, but will ultimately come across as disjointed to the viewer. 

Instead, ensure there’s meaning behind everything on screen from costume design to the lighting cues and locations. When this is done right, there’s a coherent synchronicity that occurs when all of these elements work together to form a cohesive whole, which ultimately makes for highly immersive and unforgettable cinema. 

Tap your own unconscious. Alright, buckle up because we’re getting metaphysical here! There are certain rare directors who are able to tap their own unconscious and deliver images, moods, and tones on screen that are undeniably hypnotic. David Lynch, Stanley Kubrick, and Federico Fellini are prime examples, and so is Yann. In the work of these artists, there are moments that narratively may not make sense on paper, but when they’re executed right, they tap into something beyond your conscious awareness as a viewer, causing this mysteriously strong resonance. 

In order to do this as a director, you have to really be in touch with your own unconscious. The unconscious is a difficult concept to articulate, but, as a director, it largely comes down to paying attention to all of the things that you are naturally drawn to and perceiving and conveying your perceptions on screen. 

You can be a great writer-director who relies strictly on her intellect to make a great movie, but you can go deeper. Tapping this creative intuition is the name of the game, and it requires you to transcend your immediate conscious logic to create work that defies convention and reflects your own individual sensibility. David Lynch refers to this as catching the big fish, in reference to great ideas. He goes on to say that small fish, smaller ideas, can be caught at the surface of the conscious mind but to get the big fish, the big powerful ideas, you have to go deeper into your unconscious. 

A lot of brilliant creatives have talked about how they have no idea where their great ideas come from - this is the unconscious at work. Even Steven King says that it’s all the work of the muse. Muse, unconscious, whatever you want to call it, find a way to get in touch with yours. Whether its transcendental meditation, certain substances, or immersing yourself in everything that you’re naturally drawn to, it’s important as an artist to be in touch with all of this and find ways to dive beyond the surface of your conscious mind. 

If you want to learn more about any of this, check out Catching the Big Fish by David Lynch.

Famous Collaborations are a hard road, but a road worth traveling down. Yann spoke about two very important collaborations he had making this movie, one was with his DP, and the other was with his brother, Anthony Gonzalez, the frontman of M83. In both cases, Yann had some very painstaking back and forth with both the music and the look of the film in order to get them where he wanted them. But, despite the time commitment and the difficulty, he stuck to his vision and trusted the process and, as a result, developed a great working relationship with both of these people who now are intimately acquainted with his cinematic style & sensibility. This is what you want, collaborators who can get into your head and know what you want even without you saying it. 

Getting to this point can be a hard & long hard process, and you may not be able to get there with the first person you work with.  But once you go through the pains of it, you’ll likely have a collaborator for life who will know your taste, who will know your style, and you’ll develop a very intimate creative shorthand with each other.

Your collaborators, the people responsible for bringing your vision to life - it’s imperative that you understand each other. So invest in those relationships.  

Thanks as always for listening!

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Ryuhei Kitamura is a Japanese director of such movies as Versus, Clive Barker’s Midnight Meat Train, No One Lives, Downrange, and the Mashit segment of Nightmare Cinema.

Ryuhei’s director origin story is pretty inspiring - when making his feature debut, Versus, he went through a brutal series of hardships but still managed to pull off an extremely impressive movie, loaded with highly complex zombie fight sequences and gore gags. 

One of the things that stands out in Ryuhei’s career history is his relentlessness. Throughout his career, a multitude of things kept not working out, but he relentlessly pushed on and on until he became the director he is today. Overall, Ryuhei’s story is a true tale of pioneering filmmaking, and he claims that one of the main things that got him through the challenges was his Samurai spirit, which we hear more about, as well as very entertaining stories about how much boldness can pay off as well as details about Ryuhei’s collaboration with Clive Barker. All of this and so much more on this episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show. 

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Ryuhei: 

• Blame yourself. At his lowest point, when nothing was working out and Ryuhei could have blamed producers, actors, and the Hollywood system Ryuhei instead blamed himself. This was actually an act of self-empowerment, which enabled him to pull himself up by his bootstraps and make things happen because he knew nobody was coming to save him. When things go wrong, it’s human nature to find things to blame it on, but instead, Ryuhei’s story is a reminder to take full responsibility. Hollywood is a fickle beast, loaded with liars, sharks, and parasites. When the chips are down, take the blows, learn the lessons, get back up, and take ownership of all of it. The system owes you nothing; you have to fight for every inch you get. 

• Be willing to throw it all away. This is an extremely hard lesson, but on Versus, after spending tens of thousands of dollars that he raised from friends and family, Ryuhei looked at what he had shot and realized it wasn’t good enough. This led him to scrap 80% of the footage he spent months on grueling sets shooting. This is heartbreaking but an inevitable part of the journey. Yes, your material will never be perfect, but regardless of how hard you work on something or how much money you spent on it if the quality isn’t there, it’s time to scrap it and start over. You’ll have to live with each and every frame of your movie for your entire life, so you really can’t afford to put out anything that you’re not happy with. 

• Make outrageous demands, and you’ll be surprised how often you get what you want. After talking to enough directors, I realized that movies are made up of a bunch of mini-miracles, and you have to believe they’re possible first. After shooting Versus on a shoestring budget, Ryuhei boldly approached one of the top editors in Japan and asked him to edit his movie for free. The guy laughed at him at first, but Ryuhei’s conviction persuaded him to do it. This substantially boosted the quality of Versus and put Ryuhei on the map, and he was eventually able to pay the guy back. To make a movie is literally to do the impossible with limited time and on a limited budget; often, the only thing that will get your movie made properly is your own boldness and determination to make the impossible possible. This means you have to be bold and make some preposterously outrageous demands, and when you do, you may be surprised how often people say yes. Despite the fact that Hollywood can be rough, don’t forget there are angels as well as demons. You’d be surprised at how often people in the industry want to help filmmakers out because they all know how difficult the job is. This is both a matter of getting out of your comfort zone and also believing in the power of possibility. So if you identify an opportunity like this, ask for it, the worst they can do is say no. 

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David Marmor & Alok Mishra are the director-producer duo behind 1BR. Made for an extremely low budget, 1BR swept the VOD world by storm and not only made its way into Netflix’s top 10 movies but even landed at the number one movie on Netflix for some time. This is no small feat, especially for a first time director & producer duo. 

This interview actually spans two different time periods of this movie. I interviewed Alok & David about four months ago, right around the time 1BR was released on VOD, and then after 1BR reached the success it did, I spoke to Alok a second time to hear about the strategy and tactics he employed to bring 1BR to being number one on Netflix. What transpired was a very informative conversation, both about getting your indie film made but then making sure that it’s successful after its release, which I realized not enough people talk about. Many filmmakers mistakenly believe that their job is to make a great movie and that that movie will warrant positive Rotten Tomato scores and find its way onto major streaming platforms strictly on its own merit. This interview illustrates that this is simply not the case and ensuring the success of your movie is a hustle. Alok gives us a lot of details about his promotion strategy at the end of this interview. 

Overall, this is an extremely comprehensive and well-rounded interview, and I got a seriously huge amount out of it, so fair warning, get your notes app ready for this one. On that note, I’ll turn things over to Alok Mishra and David Marmor, producer & director of 1BR. 

Here’s a recap of key takeaways from this conversation with David & Alok. 

• Get yourself a ride or die PA. The parking PA that David & Alok hired singlehandedly saved the movie when he chased down the stolen production truck housing necessary equipment. This is above and beyond going above and beyond. While we don’t advise you to encourage your crew to put themselves in any kind of danger, the willingness of this PA to engage in a fucking high-speed pursuit for the sake of the movie is what you want. These crew members are worth their weight in gold because they care about your film enough to stick their neck out for it, so if you’re lucky enough to find anyone like this as a PA, keep them happy and keep them close. 

• If you’re a first-timer, find other first-timers. On 1BR, Alok was a first time producer, and David was a first time director - this created a serious spirit of adventure for the movie as both guys were embarking into the unknown and figuring things out on their own. It’s also common knowledge that first-timers will usually work even harder because of how much is riding on their first film. So if you’re a first time director, you’re probably not going to get Mark Duplass or Jordan Peele to produce your first movie - therefore, if you have the opportunity to work with a first-time producer, take it. First-timers often have something to prove, so this is a clear case of having skin in the game. First timer collaborations are great for this reason but, make sure you hire a VERY EXPERIENCED CREW and listen to them - because you first-timers likely aren’t going to know what the fuck you’re doing on set half of the time, so you’ll need people around you who do. Alok and David made sure their crew was very experienced to ensure they were in good hands. 

• Track your lessons. When you're new to filmmaking, so many lessons are going to present themselves, and they’re going to do so so fast and in such hectic moments that you’ll likely forget most of them by the time you wrap. This is such a shame because you’re going to want to carry these lessons onto the next move that you make. To remedy this, David kept a text document of lessons learned on every single day of filming 1BR and would take a few minutes each day to write them down and reflect on them. By the end of the movie, he was left with a wealth of lessons and insights which he can turn to for his next movie. When you’re in production, DO THIS. It’ll take you 2 to 5 minutes a day, but it will be priceless wisdom that you can use throughout your entire filmography. 

• Make sure everyone has fun on set. As crazy as things may have gotten, Alok and David made sure to keep their set an engaging and overall enjoyable experience. Countless directors have spoken about the importance of keeping a high-energy and communal set, but few have spoken about the dividends this will pay in the long run. A lot of sets are brutal and un-enjoyable; if yours is a positive experience, your cast and crew will appreciate you and do what they can to help the movie out. This was particularly true for 1BR, who’s cast made themselves very available for multiple interviews and articles, all of which collectively helped the movie get to number one on Netflix. So beyond it being the right thing to do, a healthy and fun set will create a community of people who will naturally want to help you fight for the movie’s success.

• Sell 100 movies a day. After 1BR was released on VOD, Alok decided that he would commit to selling at least 100 copies of the movie every single day. This led him down a very focused path of ensuring the movie got a fresh Rotten Tomato score by pitching the movie to accredited reviewers and getting the movie as much exposure as possible through tons of blogs and podcast interviews. This was a hustle but damn, did it pay off. When attempting to pull off something as big as what Alok & David set out to do, it often helps to break down these goals into smaller quantifiable daily tasks. So if you’re ambitious and not sure where to start, start by setting out to sell 100 movies a day and watch the momentum from there. 

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About three months before he passed, I was given the incredible honor of conducting one of the last interviews with Stuart Gordon. I’m extremely humbled to be able to air this never before published conversation between Stuart and me. We happened to speak right on the heels of him completing his autobiography, so Stuart was in a very reflective mood. 

Our conversation focused a lot around his life story, his crazy escapades in the theatre, the importance of horror, and many lessons learned from his illustrious career. One of the big things I got out of this conversation with Stuart was the importance of creating art that scares you. Stuart even mentions that if you’re a little scared by something you’re creating, it’s your duty as an artist to put it out into the world. This was very refreshing to hear from the makes of one of my favorite movies of all time, Re-Animator - particularly because we’re living in a time when there’s a palpable fear for people to say or do anything, for fear of being misunderstood or labeled. 

Stuart’s work defied convention and was beyond subversiveness. He didn't just push boundaries; he bulldozed through them and created some of the most memorable horror movies we’ve ever seen. Re-Animator, From Beyond, Dagon, Dolls, and Castle Freak all have elements of madness, nihilism, psychosexuality, and very extreme taboos while maintaining a consistent sense of humor that never devolves into camp. 

Stuart was also one of the most prolific adaptors of HP Lovecraft and famously brought his own wonderful and signature interpretations to the cosmic horror writer’s work. With the passing of Stuart, the horror community lost a legend, while many others lost a friend and a mentor.

I will always cherish this conversation. Here, as always, are some directorial lessons from the legendary Stuart Gordon. 

Never censor yourself. This perhaps is one of the most crucial pieces of advice for horror directors. Stuart’s entire slate of movies is extremely subversive and, at times, downright perverse. A reanimated severed head going down on a woman is without a doubt, one of the most iconic moments in cinema history to a sick bastard like myself, but it would never have happened had Stuart censored himself. 

In fact, when they brought Re-Animator to the MPAA, the film was given an X-Rating! Rather than editing the movie, Stuart, along with Charles Band and Brian Yuzna, decided to release the movie to theatres unrated, which was a very ballsy move back in the day, but it paid off in spades because the movie is an indelible classic. Had they censored themselves, what would Re-Animator have possibly looked like?

We are currently in an incredible era, where you can put out movies that are well removed from the judgmental eyes of the MPAA. VOD has given rise to some very extreme cinema; movies like Terrifier, A Serbian Film, Irreversible, The House That Jack Built all do whatever the hell they want, and it’s great. It is a brave new world; independent directors are no longer beholden to censorship, so why do it? Now, there’s adhering to institutionalized censorship, like the MPAA, and then there’s your own self-censorship. Stuart has confronted both. 

If you’re a horror director or a horror fan, in all likelihood, you’re hard to scare, which is why it’s the job of horror directors to scare the masses, because if it scares you, it probably terrifies the average citizen. So if you are writing or conceiving of a film concept and you think it might be too extreme, or if it scares you, even a little, it’s your job as a horror director to confront that fear and make that movie.

Arguably one of the many purposes of horror is its unflinching confrontation of death, the taboo, deepest darkest fears, and all matter of material that makes motherfuckers uncomfortable. Your job as a horror director is to find that line within yourself that frightens you and make a movie about it. If your movie idea makes you uncomfortable, that’s a real good sign. That means you have to make it, as Stuart says. If you're scaring yourself, you’re on the right track. Keep going; otherwise, make a fuckin rom-com.

Rehearse rehearse rehearse. Stuart’s theatre background imbued him with a real appreciation for rehearsals; in fact, he would rehearse Re-Animator from beginning to end as if it was a play, which his cast of primarily theatre actors was entirely used to. As a result, the performances in the movie were extremely well done, the chemistry and tension between characters were palpable, and the movie hit each and every beat it set out to. 

When you anchor a bonkers movie like Re-Animator with believable performances and nuanced drama from actors who take the concepts seriously, it’s a golden combination. It allows your audience to take these very insane concepts seriously because it grounds the movie in realism. 

It is so easy for movies to descend into camp; what can bring your off the wall concept into the realm of realism is good performances. So cast wisely, rehearse, and consider theater actors. For more on this, listen to my interview with Knives and Skin director Jennifer Reeder.

Watch everything. When approaching Re-Animator, Stuart and longtime collaborator Brian Yuzna watched every single horror movie released in the past ten years as they worked on the Re-Animator script. This gave them a real awareness of what was working in the market as well as what the market was missing. Having such a deep awareness of the contemporary horror genre helped them make something as dynamic and different as Re-Animator. So take Stuart’s advice and watch as much recent horror as you can - this way, you can learn what the horror market has so you can deliver what it needs. 

Level set with your cast and crew on day 1. 

Stuart’s movies are very specific in their mood, tones, and the overall worlds that he builds. When you have movies that are as specific as Stuart’s, everybody working on them has to understand them, which is why communicating the vision of the movie to every last person on set is critical. It’s no surprise that Stuart's movies are as cohesive as they are because he always made a real effort to get his cast and crew aligned.

Stuart would kick off each movie by meeting with his entire cast and crew on day one of production to tell them why he was making that movie. This ensured that everybody was on the same page, humming the same tune, and making the same movie. 

Considering all of the people that make up a cast and crew and post-production team, there are so many points of view and potential interpretations of things as well and countless opportunities for details and nuances to be lost in translation. Communicating a clear vision of your film at the beginning counters the endless potential for misinterpretation. 

Anyway, thank you as always for listening, and huge thanks to Rachel Wilson for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime to have this conversation with Stuart. Thanks again, as always, for listening to The Nick Taylor Horror Show.

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Steven Kostanski is a writer, director, and practical effects makeup artist. His latest movie, Psycho Goyreman, is about to be released and it looks fuckin awesome!

Prior to Psycho Goreman, Steven directed Leprechaun Returns, Manborg, and The Void.

The Void is an incredibly impressive movie. Imagine a deadly cult film that mixes The Thing with Hellraiser in a Lovecraftian universe. 

Making The Void was an incredibly hellish experience and we hear first hand from Steve what it was like to be in the trenches of a brutally difficult shoot and how he was able to overcome it and become a better director in the process. I highly recommend The Void, which you can stream on Shudder right now. 

In addition to being a director, Steve is also a practical effects makeup artist who designs and builds the creatures in his films. Steve was a student of Dick Smith's and we hear some great stories about him. 

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Steven Kostanski:

Consider learning practical effects. Steve’s background in practical effects tremendously helped him boost the production value of his movies because he was able to load them with creature and gore effects that otherwise would have been prohibitively expensive. Similar to Steven, Damien Leone, who directed Terrifier had a background in practical effects too which substantially helped Terrifier get made, not to mention the fact that Guillermo Del Toro learned practical effects from Dick Smith so he could make the creature effects for his first movie Cronos. Sidenote, to build the creature effects for The Void, Steven raised about $80,000 on IndieGogo that went just to the creature design. Had he required practical effects artists the budget would have likely been double that.  Regardless of whether you want to learn practical effects, the point is to have an additional skill you can contribute to your production beyond directing so you can boost the production value of your film without breaking your budget. 

Multi-task if you’re multitalented. Steve puts different parts of himself into each of his movies by personally handling the effects, creature, and costume designs. He claims that if he isn’t flying on all cylinders on a movie, he has a sense of creative anxiety. This is not about control, but it’s about scratching your own creative itches if you have them. If there are multiple elements of your movie that you can single-handedly handle, you should try to do that. As important as delegation might be on certain movies, being so hands-on gives you the opportunity to give your movie a very signature aesthetic which Steve’s movies all have. So if you are multi-talented, embrace this urge within yourself and try wearing multiple creative hats on set. 

If you’re going through hell, keep going. Steven and his co-director on The Void, Jeremy Gillespie, are outspoken about what a hellish nightmare it was to make The Void. It was so bad and soul-crushing that Steven doesn’t even like talking about it, but he did say that the experience substantially forced him to grow as a director, so to a degree, he’s grateful for it. 

Films are Murphy's Law, some more than others. Filmmaking is the furthest thing in the world from smooth, especially with limited time, budgets, and resources, but as a director, it’s critical to remember that these are the experiences that forge your iron in the fire and give you the capacity to take on bigger and better projects. As horrendous as they can be, these kinds of experiences prompt the kind of growth that can help you overcome the even larger problems that will come with your future productions. Also, producers are typically attracted to directors who can overcome challenges and odds. So remember, that smooth seas do not make good sailors, and if you’re going through hell on your production, whatever you do don’t give up, you’ll come out of it better and stronger than when you went in.  

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Produced by Simpler Media

Aaron B.  Koontz is a writer, director, producer, and founder of Paper Street Pictures. Aaron made his feature debut with Camera Obscura, and recently directed the core story in Scare Package, featured on The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs. Aaron's most recent release was The Pale Door, a horror western about a group of cowboys who take shelter in a brothel, only to find out it’s a coven of ravenous witches. Pale Door was a refreshingly original blast and is now streaming on VOD and coming soon to Shudder. 

Here to kick us off are some key takeaways from this conversation with Aaron B. Koontz. 

Center yourself. We talked about this a little bit with the Natalie Erika James interview, but it’s worth reiteration. If in the midst of a shoot, you as the director are experiencing negative emotions like anxiety, fear, anger, or frustration,  there’s a good chance you’re going to become irrational and make wrong decisions. Counter this by finding a way to center yourself, even if it holds up production. But don’t go crazy, because it shouldn’t take much time. What Aaron does when things get hectic is he goes to his car to regroup - he puts the music on along with the cool air and just breathes, and two minutes is all it takes for him to get centered. Taking the time to do this is not lazy or self-indulgent; it’s essential because nobody wants to work with an overly emotional director. Figure out what your way to get centered is and make a habit of doing it.

Allow your shit to stink. Aaron mentioned that his first few screenplays and shorts were not, by his own admission, all that great, but it was still important that he make them, if only for the sake of learning how to make films. If you wait until your writing voice is perfect before writing that screenplay, you’ll probably never get around to writing it. Similarly, if you wait until you feel ready to be a director before trying to direct, there’s a chance you’ll never get to it. So even if you don’t think your material is not great yet, make it anyway because you’ll gain the knowledge to get better. 

Now, it’s important to emphasize, that this is no excuse for shitty writing or a lack of effort, you should and better work your ass off, but if you’re insecure about your work, it’s still critical that you push forward anyway because what many people don’t seem to realize is that the only way to prepare for becoming a director is by directing. 

Insist on that phone call. While pitching his first feature, Camera Obscura, Aaron had been turned down by a production company that he really wanted to work with after months of conversations. When they turned him down, he was level-headed about it, but he requested a phone call with the head producer. They agreed, and as you can guess, this one single phone call ultimately led to his movie getting greenlit.

It’s important to not only never give up but to be very strategic about how you push forward in the face of rejection. After being turned down, Aaron made a very simple & reasonable request for that phone call, and that can make all the difference. When it comes to this business, there's such a razor's edge between things getting made and things not getting made that it’s frightening. You really have to be insistent. Plus, a lot of producers will often test the resolve of the directors they work with by rejecting them at first and observing how they recover. So always ALWAYS insist on that phone call.

You don’t have to be a 20-something; in fact, it’s probably better that you aren’t. Directing requires a lot of intelligence and life skills, like time management, budgeting, and leadership ability. Aaron didn’t begin directing until he was in his 30’s and his knowledge and professionalism tremendously helped push him forward — he was more prepared and able to manage high amounts of pressure which ultimately made him a great director. 

So if you’re not in your twenties, take heart, you’re probably way more prepared to helm a movie now than you would have been at 25. I’ve personally been guilty of coming down on myself for not having a feature under my belt by the age of 30, Spielberg made Jaws at 26 for Chrissakes! But as Aaron said, “he’s Steven Spielberg.” If you’re older, you’re wiser, and your insight, intelligence, and sophistication can only make you a better director. 

Write every day. Aaron writes for an hour every single day. Every day. No matter what. Unless, of course, he’s directing. But what’s interesting is that to him, writing isn’t always necessarily putting words on the page; in some cases, writing can be as simple as thinking about the material because this is effort towards the development of the work. Therefore it’s important to do it every single day.

Depending on the type of writer you are, you may not want to over-burden yourself with a word minimum, so maybe consider a time minimum during which you write, and if nothing comes, simply think about the material. 

Here’s the thing: if all you do is sit for an hour and think about what you’re writing, the connective tissues of the material will remain intact, and this magic thing will happen, where you naturally will start writing in your head throughout your day.  Your brain will naturally keep developing the material and solving the problems of your script subconsciously. But the only way to stay this sharp with your writing is to do it every day. So however you choose to write, do it every single day.

Thanks as always for listening to The Nick Taylor Horror Show, if you enjoyed this episode, why not share it with your friends and family or filmmaking buddies? Don’t forget to follow the show on Instagram & Twitter at @ImNickTaylor. Thanks again for listening! 

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Coralie Fargeat is a French writer and director who made her feature film debut with 2017’s Revenge, now streaming on Shudder. 

Coralie started her career in France as an AD, and shortly after realizing that she wanted to be a director, she made a short and took it on the festival circuit. The short opened many doors for her, and from there, she wrote multiple screenplays and took writing classes, all of which collectively helped her find her voice as a filmmaker. 

This path led her to pitching the concept of Revenge to multiple producers, ultimately striking a deal. In this interview, we hear more details about Coralie’s filmmaker origin story, how to be an assertive director, and tips for creating your own local filmmaking community and support system. All of this, and so much more on today’s episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show. 

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Coralie:

Prep your materials. In addition to the script for Revenge, Coralie wrote a 40-page treatment that described the story, plot, subtext, and visual cues in stark detail. This really conveyed to producers that she had a real clear vision for this project. She also did a ripomatic treatment reel that showcased tonal references of music, movie clips, and images that further defined the movie. All of which gave the producers more confidence in the movie and in her. 

Conflicts are inevitable. Sometimes in the heat of the moment on a grueling set while you’re over time and over budget, you don’t always have time to explain things. And as much as I hate to say it, according to many directors, sometimes you don’t always have time to be nice. Yes, as a director, you should strive to make every effort to be as respectful and kind to your cast and crew as possible, and as Chelsea Stardust mentioned in a  previous episode when it comes to filmmaking, “it’s chaos, be kind.” However, throughout the course of making films sometimes, you will have to enter conflicts assertively so you can get what you need. 

There’s a difference between being an asshole and being strategically aggressive. If you’re a miserable fuck face on set who yells and screams all day every day, your crew will check out instantly and underperform. And you’ll deserve it. But if you’re too nice, you run the risk of being taken advantage of. There’s no clear answer here, but this is an eventual scenario that all directors will have to face and figure out on their own. Coralie discussed her own struggles with this, but how inevitably, she had to get things done her way by whooping some asses here and there, but she did so strategically. 

Eli Roth tells a story about the first day on the set of Hostel. He and a bunch of his crew members bonded over drinks the night before production, and he went back to his hotel room early, but the crew stayed out drinking and showed up on set completely hungover. Thinking that Eli was their friend, they felt entitled enough to do this without consequences. They were wrong. As a result, they dragged ass on set, and without batting an eye, Eli yelled and screamed at the guilty parties and even fired some of them. As harsh as this may sound, this set a precedent on his sets that this type of behavior will not be tolerated.

If it’s not your nature to be aggressive or assertive, it’s important that you think about the bigger picture. Coralie touched on something so obvious but I rarely hear directors mention it, and that is that you are going to have to live with your film for the rest of your life. Every frame, every detail, every decision will be etched in stone. So those moments on set when you have to fight to get what you need or fight to get something done the right way, are all worthwhile battles because you only get one shot. Film is permanent. Do not let anybody off the hook, especially yourself. 

Stare into the void. If you're a first time filmmaker, nothing can prepare you for your first movie. Yes, make shorts, go to film school, read Making Movies by Sydney Lumet, and watch every single special feature making-off that you can. But, things will inevitably go wrong, there will be things you don’t know how to handle, crew members may turn on you, effects may break down, and that scene you agonized over, might not end up working. Now, the way that you respond to these things, the way that you handle yourself when you’re at the mercy of all the things that go wrong on set, that’s directing.

Coralie mentioned how her work as an AD led her to realize that directing is problem-solving. Because of this, she was able to approach her first film with confidence, despite not entirely knowing what she was doing. But, she figured it out along the way and made a kickass movie regardless. 

A lot of would-be directors get daunted by the thought of their first movie or spend too much time preparing, or over-educating themselves instead of just doing it. Successful first-time filmmaking is a messy process and largely a matter of jumping head first into a difficult shoot and flailing your way through to make your days and somehow, by the grace of god, making a good movie in spite of it all. 

As important as preparation and education are, as a filmmaker, you can never be fully prepared for the difficulties your movies will bring you. You’ll simply gradually get better with every single film that you make. So if you’re approaching your first film, embrace feeling stupid, embrace feeling unprepared, embrace impostor syndrome, and embrace the fact that you don’t really know what you’re doing. Because nobody ever really does until they get a few films under their belt. 

Build a collective. I was shocked to hear Coralie mention that horror and genre films were not widely accepted in France despite the French extremist horror movement. As a result, Coralie built a community of other aspiring genre filmmakers who would learn from each other, pool resources, and ultimately become a support system. They would even invite industry professionals, like writers, directors, and producers, to share their experiences on filmmaking and work with first-time filmmakers. 

These kinds of relationships are priceless. Not just from a networking perspective but from a life perspective. As the saying goes, you become the sum total of the five people you spend the most amount of time with, so if you want to be a filmmaker, spend time around other filmmakers. Are you in a small town with not a lot of film people? Turn to social media, hold meetings via Skype, Zoom, or whatever. OR, start a podcast :) You’ll need a community, a family, to fall back on when the going gets tough, and Coralie attributes her ability to overcome the many difficulties she experienced producing her first movie, to this community that she built. So find your tribe or build it from scratch.

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Carlo Mirabella Davis is a writer & director who just made his feature debut with Swallow. Swallow tells the harrowing tale of a newlywed housewife who’s oppressive existence forces her to succumb to a compulsive urge to eat non-food items like dirt, thumbtacks, marbles, and more. The condition is real, and it’s called Pica. While the movie paints a very compassionate portrait of a Pica sufferer, it does not shy away from the horror of the disease, which is partially what makes Swallow so powerful. Joe Bob Briggs left a glowing review of Swallow, which I recommend reading. If only for the Drive-in Totals. 

In talking to Carlo, I was struck by the attention to detail with which he approaches his films. His decisions as a director are all significant and comprehensive, and in this interview, we learn more about his process. We also hear how he got his first movie off of the ground as a first time director and learn about the real-life inspiration of Swallow. 

Now for your listening pleasure, here is Carlo Mirabella Davis. 

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Carlo Mirabella Davis:

Be thorough. There is a severe level of craftsmanship in Swallow as every scene, choice, and moment feel meaningful. It is clear from the get-go that every detail of the movie was thought through and presented with purpose. The movie has multiple layers, all loaded with subtext, but the film remains buoyant. The movie moves with this light smoothness, all while retaining its depth. It’s a pretty masterful balance, which seems to have been achieved by Carlo and his team’s attention to detail. So the takeaway here is to do your homework and work with your team to think through every conceivable aspect you can.

Everything from subtle costume details, to production design and camera direction, are all driven by the story. You don’t hear enough directors talking about this level of purposeful attention to detail. A lot of directors want great costumes and gorgeous shots, but overlook the power of aligning the critical, creative choices in their movies with purpose. Carlo does this to a considerable degree, and it gives the film a very profound depth that you can feel. 

Consider approaching horror as an ingredient as opposed to the primary genre. First of all, I’m a quintessential gorehound who just watched Blood Sucking Freaks for the umpteenth time with Joe Bob Briggs, so I love pure horror as much as the next guy. But, it’s worth noting that horror can work exceptionally well as a drama delivery system. If you mix a horror element with a deeply rooted drama with believable characters and relatable emotions, you can have some real magic on your hands. This magical mix was the case with Swallow, which has a significant horror element but is mostly a drama. The horror element makes the drama work better, and the drama makes the horror element work better. The two go hand in hand when presented together because good drama creates realism, which makes the horror element more believable, more terrifying, and more effective.

The other thing worth mentioning regarding this point is that non-horror directors directed some of the best horror movies: Friedkin with The Expecist, Kubrick with The Shining, Jonathan Demme with Silence of the Lambs, James Cameron with Aliens, Spielberg with Jaws, the list goes on. As much as we all love a good gorefest, directors who understand drama make some killer horror movies.  

Find the dark humor. Similar to how drama can make horror work better, humor can make horror more bearable. As Carlo said, dark humor helps the medicine go down - humor strategically used can help an otherwise visceral and painful to watch movie more bearable. This was the case in Swallow, which had a few solid laughs here and there, which gave the film a disturbing levity to it that again, helped the horror work even better while making the movie more palatable. 

Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, why not tell your friends and family and filmmaking buddies about it on social media? Don’t forget to follow the show on Instagram at @imnicktaylor and on Twitter at the same handle. Thanks again for listening to the Nick Taylor Horror Show.  

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My guest today is a household name among horror fans, and the director of one of the most talked about horror movies of recent times, Terrifier! 

Terrifier’s star, Art the Clown is on the fast-track to slasher stardom and is without a doubt, the most iconic movie slasher in decades. All you have to do is observe the rampant fan art and the alarming number of tattoos of Art to know, that this is a true horror icon, and he’s just getting started. 

The character of Art the Clown has actually been developed by Damien over the course of 3 films. Having started as a minor character in a short called The Ninth Circle, Art then went on to star in his own short (also called Terrifier) before being adapted into a full length feature called All Hallow’s Eve, which compiled the two previous shorts into a VHS style anthology, bookended with another wraparound story, also starring Art the Clown. 

The many iterations of Art the Clown have allowed the character to be polished and refined to the point where it seems we horror fans just might have gotten the next great slasher franchise we’ve all been waiting for! I chatted with Damien extensively about the long awaited Terrifier 2 and what it holds in store for us. Here for your listening pleasure is Damien Leone. 

So, I did an interview with Damien in Dread Central a couple years back shortly after he made Terrifier - definitely check it out if you enjoyed this conversation but I’m going to start with some key takeaways from that conversation because they really hit on some great lessons in horror filmmaking. 

• Make something that stands out and gets people talking. In a market flooded with unoriginal copycat concepts, your film needs to have something notably different that will get people talking. In the case of Terrifier, this was the strong special effects (hand crafted by Damien himself) and the grisly but inventive violence.

• Learn a complementary skill. Damien’s background as a special effects makeup artist not only opened doors for him in the way of meeting producers, but enabled him to make Terrifier shine above larger budgeted movies as he did all the effects himself.

• Deliver the gore but be classy about it. The gore in Terrifier stood out chiefly among most other recent horror entries, but despite its brutality, Damien still showed artful restraint through the use of cutaways and editing, even during the film’s centerpiece hacksaw scene. To avoid getting into Hershell Gordon Lewis/torture porn territory, show the audience what they want to see but avoid holding on the shot for too long. It’s a fine balance that can make or break the efficacy of your kill scenes.

Thanks as always for listening! Check out the show on Instagram at @imnicktaylor or on Twitter at the same handle. Dont forget to subscribe and if you dig this episode, why not write us a review? If you don’t dig it, no worries on the review. 

Thanks!

-Nick 

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Cig Neutron is a creature designer, special effects makeup artist and a creative force of nature. 

He’s done effects work on multiple movies including Tron Legacy, Suckerpunch, and Star Trek Discovery, and was on Face/Off's season 7 then again on season 11 as one of the Face/Off allstars.

Nowadays Cig and his partner in crime Rani are putting out a lot of their own original content and the volume of stuff that they put out is pretty amazing; everything from music videos, to skits, pinup photos, all driven by practical effects makeup. 

Cig is one of those really unique effects artists who have a very strong signature style, you can easily spot his work which has a fun sensibility that combines monsters with sleaze & naughtiness along with a very strong influence from gross-out cartoons of the 90’s - all of which feels like it’s part of this very unique universe that Cig Has created. 

I don’t know, I just love his work, it reminds me of all of the stuff I loved as a kid and just makes me happy. Seriously, all of you listening should do yourselves a favor and check his work out; his videos, his instagram page, everything.  

Cig also hosts a podcast that I really enjoy called Cig Neutron's Spewtron, available everywhere, and he does a pretty cool series of livestreams on Twitch where he breaks down his effects techniques.

We had pretty wide-ranging conversation and got into everything from creativity, to practical effects and explored spirituality in depth, Cig has a very well-developed and fascinating spiritual sensibility and there is a lot to learn from him - I always love talking to him and I hope you guys enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Here without further ado is the one, the only Cig Neutron!

Alright, I truthfully got so much out of this conversation, and hope you kids at home did too. You all can follow Cig’s work on Instagram and I highly highly HIGHLY recommend you do. Seriously, follow him, his work is such a treat, and you’re welcome. 

Big thanks to the amazing Cig Neutron for being here today. Instagram, and the TikTok, which I haven’t gotten around to learning. 

Links & Show Notes

Follow Cig at: 

• Cig Neutron’s Spewtron Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cig-neutrons-spewtron/id1448458836
• Cig Neutron’s Spewtron Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cig-neutrons-spewtron/id1448458836
• Patreon - patreon.com/rancig 
• Instagram - instagram.com/cigneutron - @CigNeutron
• Twitch - twitch.tv/cigneutron

 Other stuff we talked about:

• Liquid Television & The Head 
• Mutant League
• Wacky Packs (childhood favorite sticker packs)
• Maybe Logic: The Lives and Ideas of Robert Anton Wilson (2003 Documentary)

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Relic is one of the newest movies from IFC Midnight and the feature debut of Australian filmmaker, Natalie Erika James. Relic tells the heartbreaking story of a family of women dealing with the mental decline of their matriarchal grandmother due to what seems to be Alzheimers, but upon closer inspection appears to be something malevolent and evil. 

Relic was a very striking & multifaceted movie, and I highly recommend it. It blends very deep emotions, with atmosphere, and eeriness and nuances all while confronting serious themes of familial trauma and tragedy. One of the reasons Relic is so emotionally poignant is because it was based on Natalie’s own family struggles with the gradual decline of her grandmother due to Alzheimers. You can tell by watching it that Relic is a deeply personal story, and it takes a certain amount of bravery to explore that as deeply as Natalie did. 

Ultimately, Relic hits all the right emotional notes and delivers the scares in equal measure, and overall was one of the most exciting horror movies of this year. Natalie really knocked my socks off with Relic and I truthfully can’t wait to see what she does next. Now without further ado, please enjoy, Natalie Erika James.  

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Natalie: 

Seriously, make shorts. Shorts are a big argument within the filmmaking community, but most directors I’ve spoken to swear by them as a necessary part of becoming a director. Natalie took her short on the festival circuit and it got her representation which ultimately enabled her to make a very legitimate feature debut with a healthy budget because producers knew her style and what she was capable of. 

Now this is a unlikely example but the power of Natalie’s short got her an agent which helped her get producers like Jake Gyllenhaal and the Russo Brothers behind her. (Yes that’s Marvel/Avengers Russo Brothers). Clearly there’s more to this story, and it took years for this to all come together, but, having a rep really helps, so make a short get a rep. 

Don’t overlook your mental health.Indie filmmaking can be agony, and often involves multiple sleepless nights and endless amounts of stress, all of which is par for the course. However, as Natalie pointed out, as a director your mental health is of the upmost importance and typically it’s one of the most overlooked elements of filmmaking. Natalie states that she would take walks to figure out difficult scenarios, and turned to meditation to better equip her cognitive health. The better your mental health, the less emotional you will be and the better you will be at being creative and solving problems. 

This is particularly important at the very beginning stages of your production because you’ll want to be as clearheaded as possible and save your steam for the end so you don’t burn out prematurely. 

Yes, many stressful elements of directing are entirely unavoidable, but do what you can to be as rested and mentally healthy as possible on your sets. It’s very easy to forget about this in our hustle bustle culture but find ways to sneak in naps, and take those brakes when you need to. It doesn’t make you lazy, it makes you a smart director who knows how to manage their creative and cognitive energy. All of which ultimately will serve your movie. 

Get personal. Natalie put her own personal story into Relic, however when you watch the movie, it’s easy to project your own experiences and interpretations into it and that universality is what makes Relic so powerful.  Bottom line, the more that you open up, the more your audience will relate to you. Clearly you’re not gonna reach everybody, but the deeper you go into your own personal story, the more powerful and effective your movie will be for others. 

Chances are others have dealt with something similar and your movie will convey to them that they’re not alone. This is the true power of this level of personal filmmaking and horror is the most perfect genre for doing this.

The events that occurred in Relic are clearly not what happened to Natalie‘s family, but they are inspired by it and the movie is no less powerful, in fact the horror element makes these emotions work at an even higher level. Horror is the one of the best metaphorical vehicles for exploring and addressing trauma, tragedy, and topics otherwise difficult to confront.

No other genre really lets you do this as safely as horror. So if you have a deeply personal story to tell, the horror genre can really let you run wild and confront real horrors in extreme ways. The entire process can be healing to the filmmaker, and if it’s healing to the filmmaker, it’s going to be healing for audiences. This is one of the many reasons why horror is an important genre. 

Books Mentioned:

• Judith Weston Directing Actors book
• On Writing by Stephen King
• Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott
• The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron

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Alston & Julius Ramsay are two brothers and a writer/director duo. The Ramsay brothers made their feature debut with Midnighters, a high octane indie thriller released by IFC Midnight in 2017. Their most recent feature is The Current Occupant is the latest entry in Blumhouse’s Into the Dark series on Hulu. For the uninitiated, Into the Dark is a Black Mirror-like series of self-contained feature horror films produced by Blumhouse where each episode thematically represents a different holiday. 

The Current Occupant was themed around Independence Day and tells the story of a man committed to an asylum who believes himself to be the president of the United States. The Current Occupant is a fascinating and highly entertaining institutional horror thriller and is available on HULU today!

The Ramsays have a varied and fascinating background: Alston, was a former speechwriter for multiple prominent political figures like Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, General David Petraeus, and Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson. While Julius edited for multiple TV shows including Battlestar Galactica and has directed for Blumhouse’s The Purge TV series and multiple episodes of The Walking Dead. 

The Ramsays were a whole bunch of fun to talk to and their latest feature, The Current Occupant, is now streaming on HULU.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation Julius & Alston Ramsay:

Move forward as if. Alston mentioned a golden production tactic someone gave him which was to put a hypothetical date on the calendar for principle photography and simply move forward as if that’s when you will begin shooting. When making independent movies, there are so many variables, so many that most directors get overwhelmed and feel the need for everything to be figured out before they can even begin principle photography. What few people tell you is that the best way to do this is to work the other way around. Come up with your ideal date, and then back all of your production plans into it.

There’s real brilliance to this idea, because it not only psychologically orients you towards shooting, which is very powerful in and of itself, but this tactic makes your project sound more real to the producers you’re pitching because you have an actual date. So pick a date and mark it on your calendar - even if you have to reschedule, it will be a starting point that can give you the momentum you need. 

There’s horror all around you, take notice. Alston spent a lot of time working in politics as a speechwriter, and because of that, brought a breadth of perspective and experience into The Current Occupant. His work history gave the movie an authenticity because it was partially based on his personal experiences which is where some very rich horror concepts can come from. 

If you’re an aspiring filmmaker who has a non-film related day job, take heart because the idea for your movie might be right in front of you. Waiting tables? It’s been a while since there was a good restaurant horror movie. Working in an office? Take a look at Belko Experiment, American Psycho, Mayhem, and technically Cabin in the Woods. Don’t discount your current experiences as time wasted if you’re not making movies yet - dig deep into these experiences because they just may have the germ of a great horror concept in them. 

Collaborate with a sibling, or someone like a sibling. I have spoken to multiple filmmaking duos and they are often childhood friends or siblings. When picking collaborators, it’s critical to remember that you will inevitably get into conflict, therefore, having a strong rapport, and the capacity to fight and rapidly recover is mission critical. Where it may not always be realistic to pick a sibling to make a movie with, as Alston said, pick someone who you would want in your foxhole, because making a movie is going to war. Therefore, it’s important to be on board with someone who will have your back when the going gets tough, because it inevitably does throughout the course of indie filmmaking. So pick your production partners accordingly because when the chips are down you’ll need someone who cares. 

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Frank Sabatella is a writer, director, and photographer who’s made such films as Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet, and most recently, 2019’s The Shed. One of the things I really appreciated about The Shed was how it explored pretty serious subject matter; themes of bullying, school shootings, and child abuse were all confronted in this movie without it being heavy handed. Horror as a genre has always been pivotal in confronting difficult subject matter head on, and in addition to delivering a fresh take on vampires, The Shed dives into some pretty serious material all while still having a very fun vibe to it which is a very difficult balance to pull off. Frank and I talked about this along with his writing processes, tips for keeping morale high on difficult sets, as well as the benefits of shooting your movie in Upstate New York, all of this and so much more on today’s episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show. 

Here are some key lessons learned from this conversation with writer/director Frank Sabatella. 

Approach your writing in phases. It’s overwhelming for most writers to sit down and look at that blank page while that deadly cocktail of perfectionism, analysis paralysis and overall resistance sabotages your efforts. It’s important to remember what Hemingway said which is  "the first draft of anything is shit.” With this in mind, it’s important to understand and embrace the different phases that your screenplay will inevitably have to go through to get finished. 

Frank calls the first draft of a screenplay The Wild West phase, because anything goes and he lets ideas fly freely. There’s something very liberating about this approach, you shouldn’t be overly-critical about your first draft because it’s exploratory.  So approach your first draft with This Wild West mentality; even if 75% of it sucks, that 25% could be all you need to lay the foundation of a great second draft. Frank went on to say that as you write through these drafts, the deeper themes of the movie naturally reveal themselves to you. So don’t be discouraged if you don’t have it all figured out when you sit down to write because it’s largely a process of discovery. Which brings me to my next point. 

Write regardless of output. Frank writes for about two hours a day, but he notes that he may not necessarily put down words during this time. Instead, the sheer act of sitting down to think through his story, plot, and script details are enough for him to consider it a productive day. The words aren’t always going to come, but what’s important is that you show up and put the work in and make yourself available to The Muse. Even if you don’t nail your word count, you still can take your screenplay further by spending focused time thinking about it because this is what helps the ideas gel. 

Take breaks. As important as it is to have a consistent and disciplined writing practice, sometimes your mind needs a break. It’s very easy to get swept up in hustle culture and constantly force yourself to put out pages but this can sometimes exhaust your creative resources. If you’re feeling burnt out, replenish yourself by watching movies, reading books etc. You may need a dose of inspiration or you may simply need a rest. Do this and pay attention to how refreshed you feel the next time you sit down to write.

Visualize your progress. Frank has a bulletin board where he collects ideas in broad strokes that he narrows down into beats and scenes. Having a tangible representation of the project helps him keep track of it and encourages him to push further because he can visualize his progress. As the saying goes, ‘out of sight, out of mind.’ In this tech-driven era, it’s so easy for things to disappear in the digital void but sometimes tangibility and visibility are important for creators, if only for emotional reasons. It may seem like a little thing, but anything in your environment that encourages you to finish your project is very important, having a way to see tangible progress outside of a computer is something worth trying. 

Books 

• Save the Cat by Blake Snyder
• Film directing Shot by Shot by Steven D. Katz

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Anthony C. Ferrante is an American filmmaker, director, and writer, best known for being the man behind the Sharknado franchise. In addition to Sharknado 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, Anthony has directed such horror hits as Boo, Forgotten Evil, and Zombie Tidal Wave.

Anthony and I talked a lot about Sharknado, as well as how he’s able to make his sets an unbelievably fun experience that attracts his cast and crew to constantly want to work with him. This is a real art when you’re working with low budgets, which all of the Sharknado movies were on, but Anthony has a lot to say on the topic of making your sets enjoyable. So we get some tips on that, discuss COVID-era filmmaking and hear more about what he has in store next. All of this and so much more on today’s episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show. 

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Anthony C. Ferrante. 

Embrace the energy of desperation. The Sharknado movies are what Anthony calls $20 million movies made for $1 million. When you have a scope that big and a budget so low, every minute on set counts as does every dollar spent. Collectively, this can cause filmmakers and crew members to often scramble and hustle on sets because time is money. These kinds of circumstances and this energy often translates to the screen and it makes for a very interesting and fun vibe. (Just look at Evil Dead.) 

Having less time and less money also forces quick decision making and this decisiveness will only serve you as a director in the future, given the millions of decisions that have to be made on productions. 

When big budget films are shot at a slow, lumbering and comfortable pace, and everything goes smoothly, it often translates to a pretty boring movie (of course there are many exceptions). But, you’re an indie filmmaker, your movies are supposed to feel rough around the edges because they were such a bitch to make! Don’t fight this, embrace it because it will serve your film and give it a noticeable energy. 

Sometimes they just got to trust you. Anthony described a case on one of the Sharknado movies where he had to improvise a brand new complicated scene on set because at the last minute, certain important props and center pieces weren’t available.  Flying by the seam of his pants, he had to improvise an elaborate action sequence that he could see in his head and he had 20 minutes to do it. He went to his actors and simply said: 'trust me and follow exactly what I’m saying' and they worked it out in one shot that was filmed and edited in real time. Sometimes you’re not always going to have time to explain every last detail of every last decision to every single actor. In order to properly orchestrate what you see in your head, you need to build trust with your actors. This often comes with time, and definitely has to be earned. 

Empathize with your entire crew. When it comes to low budget movies, there is such a fine line between a fun set and a hellish set. Low budgets, punishing schedules, and grueling elements can either wear everyone down or pump them up. Some indie movies are a blast, and people talk about how they were paid next to nothing and loved every minute of it. When you hear Howard Berger & Greg Nicotero talk about working on Evil Dead, there’s a clip where they mention that they were paid $400 a week but every single day was like summer camp and they would have done it for free.

I’m not saying not to pay your cast and crew as well as you can, but what I am saying is that it is part of your job as a director to build a set that people are going to want to come to, partially because you are going to want crew members to become longtime collaborators. Anthony talked about how the key to doing this is understanding that everyone is doing a job, and that you have to give them the time, space, respect, and resources to do their jobs. This largely comes down to empathy and understanding what each job entails which is why Anthony always urges aspiring directors to learn as much as they can about every job done on films. He actually has worn multiple hats across multiple productions which has helped him empathize with his crew and run better sets. 

Will you have to continually inspire your crew? Will you have to remind them you’re running out of time and money? Will you have to crack the whip sometimes? Of course, but there’s a conscious & respectful way to do all of these things. Mastering this concept can turn your rag tag indie crew into a community and ultimately an unstoppable force. So make a conscious effort to make your productions an enjoyable and overall positive experience, because it can so easily be the opposite.  

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Welcome to the Nick Taylor Horror Show! Brett and Drew Pierce, known in the industry as The Pierce Brothers, are the director duo behind The Wretched. Picked up by IFC Midnight, The Wretched is a contemporary witch story about a teenage boy sent to spend the summer working at a beach town marina only to discover something weird going on with the house next door. Turns out the neighbors are under the control of the spirit of a wicked witch from the woods! 

The Wretched is another great entry into this new season of the witch era of horror, on par with Gretel & Hansel, The Witch and Hagazuzza. 

The Wretched has also been in the news recently for breaking COVID-era box office records. As the result of a strategy from IFC Midnight, The Wretched was one of few movies that were released to audiences during the lockdown to the last safe bastion of public cinema, drive-in theatres. This strategy has allowed IFC Midnight to carve out a top position in box office charts during a time when just about all other studios have frozen their release schedules.

To date, The Wretched has earned $660,000, which is so close to being 666 but I digress… Furthermore, The Wretched held a top box office position for about five weeks. Again, this is one of the only new movies being released and who’s box office numbers are being tracked right now, but it appears that horror on a big screen as a shared experience is still cherished even during these troubled times. All in all it seems Joe Bob Briggs was right, and the drive-in will never die!

The Pierce Brothers grew up on the set of Evil Dead, since their father, Bart Pierce, was on the special effects makeup crew. So it’s clear that indie horror film-making is very much in their blood. We talked about their history, The Wretched, their first movie Deadheads, what they learned, how they pitched producers outside of the film industry and we geeked out about ancient witch mythology, all of this and so much more on this episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show. 

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with The Pierce Brothers: 

Develop your idea with mythology. When conceiving of the main idea behind The Wretched, Brett and Drew observed that witches were gaining in popularity but there were no hard fast, 'silver bullet,’ 'stake through the heart' rules about witches like there were vampires, werewolves and zombies so they invented their own. To do so, Brett and Drew looked into a number of lesser known but deeply fascinating witch myths like Black Annie and the Boo Hag, which they turned to for ideas and then composited their own witch concept by picking and choosing from ones that came before. 

This gave their witch a deeply textured history that was grounded in established myths. This is probably why the movie was so resonant because the mythology was based on deeply rooted stories.

Shoot in places where nobody shoots. Brett and Drew chose to shoot The Wretched in a little town in Michigan near where they grew up. They mostly shot in actual locations and hired local extras. As a result, their movie was such a spectacle that excited the local community and everybody eagerly wanted to get involved. People volunteered their houses and generally had a helpful attitude about the movie because it was so exciting. 

The willingness of people to give them access to land, houses, vehicles, etc. significantly boosted their production value and the easy permits helped as well. If you’re working with a low budget, this is what you want, a helpful community. The fishing is best where the fewest go so consider shooting your movie in locations that don’t get a lot of production action. Clearly this has drawbacks in how there are no local crews and if you crack a lens it’s difficult to get a new one, but you take the good with the bad. A lot of states with fewer amounts of productions often have tax incentives as well, so look into those too. 

Finish what you’re working on. Small note worth mentioning: the fact that The Pierce Brothers had completed their first film, Deadheads, on a very small budget indicated to producers that they were legit because they knew how to make a movie with very few resources. Having a history of completed projects or just one completed project that demonstrates your ability, is a big asset when it comes to raising money for your movie. So whatever you’re working on now, finish it - it can help you tremendously get the next project made. 

Pitch the rich. The Pierce brothers pitched both of their movies to multiple people, many of which were not in the film industry; a lot of them were actually dentists. As Dov Siemen’s book Reel to Deel points out, dentists usually have a lot of money and frankly don’t know what to do with it, making them perfect people to fund your movie. Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell did exactly that when they were making Evil Dead. They’d actually go to these dental industry dinner parties with a bunch of dentists and their wives and pitch them Evil Dead, and that’s how it got funded. So find some local dentists and pitch them what you’re working on; it worked for Sam Raimi and it worked for The Pierce Brothers.

Books 

• In the Blink of an Eye by Walter Mirch

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Welcome to the Nick Taylor Horror Show!

Keola Racela is the director of one of FANGORIA’s new acquisitions, PORNO! Porno pits a hapless group of upright religious & abstinent teens against a deviant sex demon who they accidentally release by watching a satanic porn film one night at the theatre they work at. Porno delivers laughs and scares in equal measure and is a blast of a film. Porno is out now on VOD, and I highly recommend you check it out. 

Porno is Keola’s feature debut, and we get into the ins and outs of low budget filmmaking, gore gags, and a particularly, ahem, nut busting sequence from Porno. Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Porno director Keola Racela. 

• Play it straight. When it comes to horror, there are countless movies that are intentionally campy, and as a result, cheesy. In some cases, this can be a good thing, but in horror, it’s important to be cognizant of the fine line between exploitation and camp. The way to ensure that your movie is taken seriously is to make sure the actors always play their roles straight and take the material seriously. If the actors wink at the camera too much, the audience checks out. There are a lot of thoughts on the balance between humor and comedy, and in Keola’s case, he recommends ensuring the actors keep their performances dramatic and letting the humor come from the circumstances.

• Move fast. Making a film is making a million decisions, and getting hung up on small details can be the silent death of your movie, or at least substantially slow things down. Keola and his filmmaking partners had a very small window to make Porno in, and they rose to the occasion. The momentum of the fast-paced pre-production and production imbued the movie with a sense of fun and hustle that was infectious to the cast and crew. In the world of filmmaking, over-thinking is the enemy. Condensed timelines and limited resources require quick thinking and decisiveness but can also enable opportunities. Many very established directors claim that they actually prefer working on lower budget movies because the limitations of time and money offer more opportunities for creativity. When you can't throw money at a challenge on set, you have to resort to your own resourcefulness and creative ingenuity, and this often results in very interesting and unexpected things happening on camera. There is also a creative purity that can occur when you’re forced to move fast; effects legend Steven Johnson often talks about how Clive Barker taught him that the first draft of everything is often the closest to the original idea, and therefore the purest. Because of this, it’s important to ‘vomit’ out the first draft of anything as quickly as possible because the idea is less likely to be at the mercy of being watered down or butchered by overthinking & overdevelopment.

• Explore grants and programs. Keola applied to be part of the Sundance editing program, whereby he would have gotten a polished editor to work on his movie for free. Considering that he was making a movie about a sex demon that came out of a satanic porn film, it was a long shot for Sundance to consider his movie, but dammit, he tried anyway! In the end, he didn't get into the editing program, but applying to it did get him the Sundance opportunity to get his movie scored by a professional composer, which significantly boosted the production value of the film. So check out grants. Even if you don’t think you have a shot at getting them, the application process may yield unexpected opportunities.

• Each film needs a north star. As a director, you need to have a strong understanding of exactly what you want to accomplish with your film. Not necessarily so, you can ensure every single specific detail is accomplished, but so you can come up with plan B when your best-laid plans come down crashing and burning on production day. Keola mentioned that a number of larger ideas he had for the film didn't work when it came time to shoot, and he had to quickly figure out new solutions right then and there on set. Luckily, he had a very strong vision of his movie and characters, so he could improvise solutions on the spot without going back to the drawing board. The distinction to be made is here, is not that your vision for your movie should be so rigid and precious that every last detail has to be shot exactly as you pictured it, no. The point is for your vision to be thorough enough to be adaptable to the inevitable trials and tribulations that come with making films. Having this kind of a north star understanding of your movie enables you to have the flexibility to improvise when best-laid plans go to shit on set. Furthermore, not having a solid vision for your film can make you prone to distractions, false starts, and dead ends. As the Cheshire Cat said to Alice during her trip to Wonderland, “if you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there.” Knowing your destination enables you to adapt and get to where you’re going through a different route when trouble arises. All of this allows you to move at the lightning-fast speed required for indie filmmaking while remaining completely faithful to your film.

Books Mentioned: 

On Film-making: An Introduction to the Craft of the Director by Alexander Mackendrick

Making Movies by Sydney Lumet

The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film by Michael Ondaatje

Thanks as always for listening to The Nick Taylor Horror Show! Follow the show on Twitter & Instagram at @IMNickTaylor. 

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Rodney Ascher is a filmmaker and one of the most unique and interesting documentarians working today. 

His career was kickstarted by an 8 minute docs-short called THE S FROM HELL. Sidenote: this film is awesome. It focuses on this bizarre phenomenon where an entire generation of children were terrified of a seemingly innocuous corporate logo. The 1964 screen gems logo that is considered as the scariest corporate logo in history. 

In it we hear first hand accounts of people who were terrified by the logo and its accompanying music which was considered by many to be demonic. It’s a great watch, and you can find it easily if you Google The S from Hell. 

Anyway, next, Rodney directed perhaps his best known doc, ROOM 237, which focuses on the exhaustively diverse amount of theories surrounding THE SHINING. This is another fascinating watch. Rodney’s other projects include: THE NIGHTMARE, a terrifying doc about Sleep Paralysis, and THE EL DUCE TAPES, about the shocking frontman of the band the mentors. His next documentary A GLITCH IN THE MATRIX will focus on the idea of simulation theory - the belief that all of reality is a digital simulation similar to THE MATRIX. 

All of his work is extremely unique and transcends traditional documentary formats. By relying mostly on archival footage to spin the narratives, hypnotic music and sound design, and palpably cerebral sensibility, Rodney’s documentaries have a very cinematic and Kubrick-esque feel to them and are great watches. 

The common theme amongst his films is the subjective human experience, as his documentaries are less interested in being journalistic and more focused on gaining insights into the human condition through individual perspectives. 

He is a fascinating filmmaker who I’m a huge fan of and I really enjoyed speaking with him. 

Directors & Films Mentioned: 

• Craig Baldwin

• Bruce Conner - Tribulation 99

Books 

• In the Blink of an Eye by Walter Mirch
• On Directing Film by David Mamet
• Shock value by John Waters 

Misc 

• Red Letter Media Review of Star Wars 

• Jungian Philosophy

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Radio Silence is a filmmaking collective comprised of Chad Villella, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, and Tyler Gillet. These three are behind such films as Devil’s Due, Southbound, VHS, and last year’s outstanding Ready or Not. I personally loved Ready or Not, and was really struck at how seamlessly it was able to balance horror, comedy, and tragedy, while being an outright thrill ride of a movie. This was hands down one of the funnest cinematic experiences in years, which made me super excited to speak with these guys. 

They have a really fascinating origin story about how they began their career-making shorts on YouTube for years, finally working their way into the Hollywood system - there is a lot to think about from the perspective of being a collective instead of a solo filmmaker. As the old cliche quote goes: ’alone you’ll go faster, together, you’ll go farther.’ That clearly is the case with these dudes as they’ve kicked the door to Hollywood wide open with Ready or Not and they did it together. 

Really enjoyed this interview a lot, Matt, Tyler, and Chad are a blast to speak to, and you can tell how much fun they have working together. 

There are a number of huge lessons which I’ll recap at the end as always, but one of the most interesting elements of their major career boost, is how they prioritized having fun throughout the course of their career and how was not only infectious on set, but enabled all of them to endure the hardships that come with breaking into the movie making business. All of this, and so much more on today’s episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show. 

• Start or join a collective.Just about everything about filmmaking and production is grueling and difficult. Filmmaking is a marathon and the hardest part can be breaking in. By creating a collective, Tyler, Matt, and Chad could withstand the hard parts because they had a support system between the three of them. Having a tight group of friends in your corner, working together towards the same mission and helping you carrying the burden can be a complete game-changer. So try to find or create your tribe - a few places to start would be by taking screenwriting or filmmaking classes, or, hop on over to the BlackList or the Bloodlist and reach out to screenwriters who are writing the kind of stuff that you like. Or, start a podcast. Having a tribe is not only much more sustainable than going it alone, it’s more fun. On a psychological level, people are able to work harder and withstand more hardships if they are having fun in the process. Which brings me to my next point

• Enjoy the process. On their path to directing features for major studios Matt, Chad and Tyler constantly made short movies for nobody but themselves, for no money for ten years. Their shorts primarily lived on YouTube, and eventually got the attention of Brad Miska from Bloody Disgusting, who gave them a segment in the anthology film, VHS. VHS led to Devil’s Due, which they made for 20th Century Fox. The bottom line of their origin story is that kept making stuff and putting it out for the fun of it, with very little expectation of outcome. Because of this, their early work had a purity of vision to it that solidified their directorial style since they were making these movies for themselves. But beyond this, Tyler, Matt, and Chad naturally create a fun environment on set which seems to be infectious throughout the cast and crew. A fun set can make morale skyrocket and enable everyone to be more resilient and willing to work harder during grueling productions because they’re having fun. Try to make sure that you’re having fun throughout the course of your projects - it will carry you through the hard times and make you, as well as your cast, crew and production partners, more resilient, all of which can only make your movie better. 

• Don’t abandon projects - it’s better to make a bad movie than to make no movie. In addition to talent, production value, and resourcefulness, producers value commitment. They want to know you can take a movie all the way. If you have a portfolio of half finished projects, it’s a red flag to anyone investing in you. Finish what you start - even if it’s not perfect, it can prove to producers that you are committed, plus the experience can be a stepping stone for your next project. 

• When the chips are down, return to basic principles. After Devil’s Due came out, the guys experienced somewhat of a dark night of the soul. The movie got pretty negative reviews and their phones stopped ringing. For the record, Devil’s Due is a lot of fun and a great watch, but don’t take my word for it, Eli Roth was extremely outspoken about how awesome and scary it was and really went to bat for it. Regardless, after the negative reviews, Matt, Chad, and Tyler, regrouped among themselves and went back to doing what they did best, making movies that they wanted to make, and having fun along the way. They then approached the anthology film, Southbound, with full force, which got them back on their feet, after which, Ready or Not was just a hop, skip, and a jump away. The lesson here is to evaluate what put you on the map in the first place and return to it frequently, especially when the chips are down. For the record, I still think Devil’s Due was a great movie and recommend it.

Thank you all for listening and a big thank you to our guests, Radio Silence, for taking the time. If you haven’t seen Ready or Not, you really oughta drop what you’re doing and check it out right away, it is a complete and total blast. 

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Welcome to The Nick Taylor Horror show! Carter Smith is a writer, director, and photographer who has directed such movies as The Ruins, Jamie Marks is Dead, and the recent Into the Dark film for Blumhouse, Midnight Kiss, which is now available on Hulu. 

Carter has had a really interesting career, having shot fashion photography for publications including Vogue, GQ, and W Magazine. Carter’s directorial career began with directing commercials for clients such as Lancôme, Tommy Hilfiger, and Tiffany's. In 2006, Carter directed the short horror film, Bugcrush, based on a short story by Scott Treleaven. The film won the Short Filmmaking Award at the Sundance Film Festival, which led him to directing features. We hear his entire origin story, thoughts on the state of queer horror, and do a fair share of geeking out about our favorite movies of 2019. 

All of this and so much more on today’s episode of the Nick Taylor Horror Show.

As always, here’s a summary of key takeaways from this conversation with Carter Smith. 

• Remain on the radar. Hollywood is a business where producers and executives are bombarded with multiple projects, timelines, people, meetings and concepts simultaneously, at all times, non-stop. In other words, they are some of the busiest people in the world and if you are lucky enough to be in an active conversation with them about a project, it’s unfortunately very easy for them to forget about you. Therefore, you have to find a way to remain on their radar. When Carter was being considered to direct THE RUINS, his first feature project, Dreamworks, the studio behind it, was speaking to a ton of other directors, including huge names like Roman Polanski. This was Carter’s first film, so to remain on their consideration list, Carter sent short but sweet emails to remind the producers that he was still very interested and passionate about the project. I’m willing to bet nobody else did that - as you can guess, Carter got the project. The big lesson here is that as important as talent may be, being top of mind is critical when it comes to getting your movies made. If you’re in conversations with busy executives, find a way to remain in touch without annoying.

• Prep for your actors. Carter has directed a number of significant actors including Liv Tyler, and his key for giving them what they need to serve their performance is simply intense preparation. This seems like a given, but a lot of directors fail to do the more comprehensive development work required to accurately build a world and build a multi-dimensional character. When directing, you need to know everything there potentially is to know about your characters so if certain questions come up, you’ll either have the answer or have a way to find it. This kind of comprehensive prep work may sound extremely daunting but Carter recommends using the book THE FILM DIRECTOR’S INTUITION: SCRIPT ANALYSIS AND REHEARSAL TECHNIQUES by Judith Weston. It’s a thick read but offers an incredible amount of insight about uncovering the material you’ll need to serve your actors through a series of exercises. Carter was even gracious enough to send me a copy of this book just at first glance I’m loving it more and more. The lists of quotes from directors and actors alone are worth the price of the book. Highly recommended. Again, that’s The Film Director's Intuition: Script Analysis and Rehearsal Techniques by Judith Weston. Carter, thank you again for the copy bro. 

• Take up other arts that will serve your filmmaking. Carter is a professional fashion photographer, and has been for years before he began directing. He states that the photographer's eye that he developed helped him tremendously as a director because it forced him to find a way to tell a story in a single frame. If you can tell a story in one frame, imagine what you can do with 24 frames per second.  

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Welcome back to the Nick Taylor horror show! Today’s episode has Tara Wood. Tara is the director of the Quentin Tarantino Documentary, QT8, the First 8. Prior to this she did the Richard Linklater documentary, 21 Years: Richard Linklater.

The movie covers Tarantino’s career from 'Reservoir Dogs' to 'The Hateful Eight', and features sit down interviews with multiple actors and collaborators and collaborators to get to the heart of who Quentin Tarantino is as an artist and a person. 

I had a field day with this movie - Tarantino is a Christ-like figure in my life, so watching this was pure bliss. 

There are interviews with everyone from Michael Madsen, Eli Roth, Jamie Fox, Samuel L Jackson, Larence Bender, Bruce Dern, Tim Roth, Zoe Bell, Diane Krueger, Lucy Liu, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Christoph Waltz, Kurt Russel, and the dearly departed Michael Forrester and many many more.  

Available on demand everywhere. 

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As always each episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show explores and deconstructs the success strategies of established horror directors while summarizing the key insights and resources that you can use on your own horror filmmaking journey.

Today we have directorial duo Adam Stein, Zach Lipovsky. Freaks is, not necessarily a horror movie, but it did deliver a very decent amount of blood (which may make it ‘horror adjacent’). Regardless, this was a fascinating movie that, on one hand was an independent character study, but on the other hand, delved deep into superhero level mythos - it was fascinating to see how Adam & Zach were able to play with such outlandish subject matter on such a small budget. 

That and the movie is loaded with very compelling performances, with Bruce Dern and Emile Hirsch, and overall it was one of the most surprising movies of the year. This was Adam and Zach’s first feature and we talk at length about how they were able to get it off the ground, how they got Bruce Dern involved, and how they were able to do so much with so little - all of that and so much more on the Nick Taylor Horror Show. 

Here as always are key takeaways from this conversation with Adam Stein, Zach Lipovsky, the directors of Freaks. 

• Make your Casting Director your first hire. When Zach and Adam began to raise funds for the movie, the first investment they made was in a casting director. Why? Well first of all, they knew that in order for their movie to work, they needed great actors who could pull off the deeply emotional characters, and a casting director would be able to pitch the movie to stars. As we all know, big actors are a cache that can attract more funding which is what makes this such a critical first step. Casting Directors also have access to studios as well which can also help with funding. Find a casting director early, and invest in them. 

• When it comes to the script, correct course as you go. After writing the screenplay, Zach and Adam were constantly rewriting it, even on set as they were shooting.  They stated that if some piece of dialogue felt like it didn’t work they had the presence of mind to try out different improvisational exercises to find dialogue that suited the scene better. In other words they were not so bound to the script as to treat it like it was the bible. This really is a testament to being as present as possible on set and adapting your material to the present moment. Zach and Adam had the flexibility and wherewithal to adapt the script to the moment and it suited the actors and the movie which had a very naturalistic feel to it. Doing this requires keeping everyone completely aligned and on the same page to ensure that everyone is making the same movie.

• Be a curator, not an auteur. A number of directors who have been on the show including Mick Garris, Dan Robbins, and Mitzi Peirone have spoken at length about how damaging auteur theory can be to a movie. For those who don’t know, auteur theory is the belief that any and every single decision made on a movie has to come from the director. This is a limitation. Zach and Adam recommend being open to getting ideas from your entire crew and being the curator of those ideas, by picking and choosing the ones you think work best. Your job as a director is not to have the greatest ideas but to find the greatest ideas. Directing is a highly collaborative art, to not be open to the ideas that could come from the talented people around you is a wasted opportunity, particularly since they can make your movie better.  

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Welcome to The Nick Taylor horror show! As always each episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show explores and deconstructs the success strategies of established horror directors while summarizing the key insights and resources that you can use on your own horror filmmaking journey.

Today we have Jennifer Reeder on the show. Jennifer is the writer/director behind one of the latest movies from IFC Midnight, Knives and Skin. Knives and Skin is a movie that I don’t even know where to begin describing. You just have to see it.

It’s on one hand, a trippy, David Lynch style nightmare, while being a deeply disturbing portrait of suburban America, reminiscent of Todd Solondz - but it’s not derivative of either of these directors, Knives and Skin is very much it’s own beast.  In it, Jennifer created a beautifully surreal and ironic world that had the kind of clarity of vision, confidence and cohesiveness of someone like Charlie Kaufman or Spike Jonze, all while being entirely an entirely unique voice.

All in all, Knives and Skin is a real treat and a real experience and hands down one of the most exciting new visions in horror to date. 

I had a great time having this conversation with Jennifer and honestly can’t wait to see what she does next. 

Here as usual are some key takeaways from this conversation with Jennifer Reeder. 

• Consider casting theatre actors. Jennifer hails from Chicago, which doesn’t have as much of a film scene but does have a very dedicated theatre scene. As such, just about Jennifer’s entire cast consisted of theatre actors, as well as standup and improv comedians. Theatre actors and comedians not only bring a very strong work ethic to the set but are usually adept at a very unique level of nuance that can seriously serve their performances. A lot of directors have spoken about the benefits of working with theatre actors, among them Stuart Gordon who’s entire Reanimator cast were, at the time, stage actors. So if you’re making an indie film and don’t happen to live in New York or LA, you might want to consider hitting up your local theatre or comedy club for a casting call.  

• Learn story. Jennifer spoke about the importance of learning story and structure and how the book Story by Robert Mckee benefitted her when she approached Knives and Skin. Despite the fact that Knives and Skin does not follow traditional any story structure, it defies the rules in a way that is indicative of understanding the rules. In other words, despite operating on its own unique and surreal plot trajectory, the movie delivers the character arcs, catharses, and payoffs that come with understanding how stories work. So Jennifer recommends that you check out Story by Robert Mckee.

• Stick to your vision. Throughout this conversation, you hear me talk a lot about how specific this movie is and it’s because the vision behind it feels so refreshingly raw, unique and un-compromised. This is how films should be made. A director with a signature as strong as Jennifer's comes with sticking to your guns and not compromising. These are the  kinds of uniquely voiced films that we need right now, so if you’re an indie filmmaker and have a specific vision, please stick to it and follow it all the way to the screen. 

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Tyler Jensen & Roman Chimienti are the directorial duo behind Scream Queen, My Nightmare on Elm Street. The documentary dives deep into the story behind A Nightmare on Elm Street 2, a sequel that was notorious for its homoerotic innuendo and lots of ensuing controversy.

I really enjoyed this documentary - not only because I’m a horror fan and love Freddy movies but because Scream Queens is unexpectedly emotional journey, that’s ultimately a very poignant story about forgiveness and the gay experience Regan-era America during the 1980’s.

The movie follows actor Mark Patton who was ridiculed for his gay portrayal of the protagonist in Nightmare 2. We follow him throughout the course of a year on the convention circuit interacting with fans and along the way, he confronts the producers & directors who in effect, tarnished his career.

All in all, it’s a very important watch, so I highly recommend it.

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Today I am very pleased to announce that we have one of the OGs of the show, Mr. Tom Holland.

Tom Holland is an American screenwriter, actor, and filmmaker and a household name for us horror fans as the writer director of two enormously important classics, Fright Night and Child’s Play. Additionally, Tom has written a number of classics including Cloak & Dagger and Psycho 2, and directed a number of movies including the Stephen King adaptations of The Langoliers and Thinner. 

He is a living legend and a downright wonderful and hilarious person and it was a privilege having this conversation with him. 

Here are key takeaways for aspiring horror directors from this conversation with Tom Holland. 

• It all comes down to LOVE. All intentions from heroes to protagonists to antagonists are all motivated by love of one kind or another. This is what makes a compelling, relatable and enduring narrative because it stems from the base psychology of human beings. This was a piece of advice given to Tom by the late Stewart Stern, screenwriter for Rebel Without a Cause. And this is the truth when you really think about it. All of the characters in Fright Night crave love in one way or another which is partially what gives the movie poignancy that makes it still endure today nearly 30 years later.  Observe & acknowledge the love-based motivations of your character when you’re writing or directing to really get to their human truth. 

• Quality is everything. When Tom was approached to write the screenplay for Psycho 2, it was originally intended to be a made for TV movie with a new actor playing Norman Bates. Tom meanwhile, really had his heart set on having Anthony Perkins return to the role so he did everything in his power to write something so high quality that he would draw Perkins into the project. Tom worked tirelessly on the Psycho 2 script, and in the end, not only did it attract Anthony Perkins back into the role, but the movie ended up getting a theatrical release. Here Tom took a project with little commercial potential and turned it into something bigger and a snowball effect ensued, all because of the quality of his script. Movies begin and end with the writing, and if your script is good enough you can move mountains. The quality of your script is best investment and your project’s most valuable source of equity.

• Surround yourself with friends. Tom has spoken about how in a ruthless business like Hollywood, you need to surround yourself with people you can rely on when the chips are down. The studio systems can be very cut-throat; executives can turn on you and so can key members of your crew, which can turn your production into a nightmare, or worse, bring it to a complete halt. Because of this, it’s priceless to find loyalty amongst your key crew members (like your DP, AD and EP90. Tom then went on to say that the best way to get loyalty is to be loyal. So nourish your relationships with your crew, because if you have their back when they need you, chances are they will have your back when you need them.  

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Tommy Stovall is an American writer, director and producer. He’s directed multiple feature films, including Hate Crime, Aaron’s Blood, Sedona and his newest horror thriller, Room for Rent, starring the iconic Lin Shaye. I had a great time speaking to him about the making of his latest movie and his advice for aspiring indie filmmakers. Here are key takeaways from this conversation with Tommy Stovall. 

• Aim high when casting. When making a low budget movie, the performances will make or break the film, which makes good casting critical. But the fact still remains: good actors are typically more expensive so, what do you do? Tommy had worked with Lin Shaye in the past, but was able to get her as his lead in Room for Rent because he gave her the opportunity to collaborate closely with him and craft her character around what she was most interested in doing as an actor. Many directors have spoken about this 'casting hack' where you can attract great actors by giving them the opportunity to craft the script & character around their strengths & interests. A lot of very good actors just want to work, and if your script is solid and you give them an opportunity to extend their range or do something they’ve never done, you have a decent shot at getting well known names. You’re not going to get Brad Pitt this way, but  that supporting character on that TV show you like who you always thought could carry a movie might be a very realistic option. Mark Duplass has an excellent speech that outlines this same strategy called The Cavalry is not Coming - it’s an hour long and it’s on YouTube and I recommend watching or listening to the whole thing. 

• Get used to NO - it’s cliche but deserves to be repeated. Tommy, like most directors, wasn’t handed a movie to direct, he had to fight for it, and work through multiple rejections before he was ever given a chance. Directing ain’t for sissies, thick skin and a 'never give up' atititude is required. Additionally, it’s important to not hear ‘no' but instead hear 'not now’ as many producers will pass on a project at first, then jump on board later down the line. (Listen to my interview with William Lustig for more on this).

• Perfectionism is the enemy, take the plunge. A lot of 'would be directors' are paralyzed by their own perfection and 'some day' approach to filmmaking. As Tony Robbins says, "the road to some day leads to the town of never.” Many people don’t fully comprehend that hands-on, real experience is the only way to become a good director. Not by planning, attending film school, reading books or researching. If you’re not 100% sure of your script, or your approach, or whether or not you know what you’re doing, Tommy recommends that you get out there and do it anyway so you can make your mistakes, fall upwards, and get better.  

Books

• Directing Actors  

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Gigi Guerrero is a Mexican-Canadian Filmmaker, Writer and Actress. She started her career making shorts including the Mexican wrestler gorefest, Luchagore which is now on Shudder. Gigi made her feature debut with the scathingly confrontational social commentary feature Culture Shock for Blumhouse as a part of their Into the Dark series, now streaming on Hulu. Today, Gigi is directing episodes of The Purge TV series, also for Blumhouse, and is attached to a new feature project about the Mexican religious icon, Santa Muerte. She is one of the most exciting emerging new voices in horror and I enjoyed talking to her about how she got started, her favorite Mexican horror movies, and as always, her recommended strategies for aspiring directors. 

Here without further are Gigi Saul Guerrero’s tips for aspiring horror filmmakers:.  

• "Shorts are the shit.” A lot of filmmakers praise the value of shorts for their priceless educational value. Gigi, who’s done 18 shorts, claims that they are best way to learn the craft of filmmaking fast. As simple as it may seem, each short incrementally gets you more familiar with the craft of filmmaking and it does this on a condensed timeline. Furthermore, shorts are also a way for first-time directors to purge their mistakes and amateur habits in a low risk environment which is important too. Doing shorts also offers you the opportunity to build relationships with a crew that you can move onto bigger projects with.

• Finish what you start. Gigi mentions that the caveat to the importance of shorts, is the importance having enough discipline to finish them. Frequently filmmakers have ‘multiple projects in varying stages of production’ but nothing to their name that is done. This is not great for your career, because people need to see evidence that you can finish something. Through finishing her 18 shorts Gigi learned invaluable lessons about filmmaking while demonstrating her style, voice, vision, and ability to finish what she started. Now she’s working with Blumhouse.

• Go with your gut. TV sets are notoriously grueling production experiences because of their breakneck pace and relentless shooting schedules. But a lot of producers and directors who have worked on TV sets, credit the experience with giving them a fast-acting production rhythm which required them to have more trust in their own intuition since there is next to no room for second guessing anything on such a timeline. Gigi’s work on The Purge taught her just this and she credits is as a very valuable experience for her as a director.  

SHOW NOTES

Gigi’s Recommended Mexican Horror Movies 

• Atros

• Alu carna

• We are the Flesh

Books

• Save the Cat, by Blake Snyder

Rebel without a Crew, by Robert Rodriguez

Larry Fessenden is an American director, producer, writer, actor, and overall force to be reckoned with. A true indie film pioneer in the horror world, Larry’s career highlights include 1995’s gritty vampire drama, Habit, 2001’s Wendigo, and The Last Winter, Starring Ron Perelman.

Larry’s latest movie, Depraved, is a gritty and modern take on Frankenstein with a number of interesting questions posed about the ethics of scientific advancements in medicine.

Larry is also a very accomplished producer, but beyond that, Larry is one of those rare gentle mentors in the industry, who really goes to great lengths to give new directors a start. Quite a few notable directors have bloomed under Larry's guidance including Jim Mickle and Ti West. Today, his company Glass Eye Pics continues to put out uniquely voiced genre films that rock the independent horror world to its core.

Larry is a fellow native born New Yorker and I really had a wonderful time speaking to him.

Here’s a summary of key advice from this conversation with Larry Fessenden:

• Find a cast & crew who are in it for the passion. When making indepenent films, the pay is low, and the hours are grueling, therefore, it’s critical that you find people who want to be in your movie for the right reasons. The right reasons being the desire & drive to create. The people you want to work with will be more concerned about the project and their creative contributions and less concerned about their contracts, hours, and overtime. That being said, the other side of this is that you cannot abuse or take advantage of them, whatsoever. As an indie director, you have to hold up your end of the bargain by ensuring that your cast and crew is always respected, safe and listened to. All of these elements are what make a creative and cohesive family unit on set. The spirit of independent filmmaking thrives on perseverance, not just from the director but from everyone around him. Find people who will willingly remain in the trenches with you and treat them like gold.

• Follow the Punk Rock ethos of filmmaking. As Larry says, work outside the system if the system won’t have you. This is largely why he embraced the DIY (do it yourself) ethos of punk rock when he produced his films. This stresses the importance of working outside of the system and not constantly waiting around for someone to give you clearance and permission but creatively finding a way to get the shots yourself with what you have access to. Which brings me to my next point.

• Embrace the challenge. Larry mentioned how the fun of making independent movies is finding a way to get the shots without the resources. Again, this speaks to how important the quality of resourcefulness is in directors and filmmakers. This partially requires taking a mental inventory of everything you have access to whenever you face a production challenge. Larry mentioned how on one movie he needed a crane shot that he couldn’t afford but remembered that he had a neighbor with a cherrypicker, so he got the shot that way. Nearly everyone has unexpected advantages and access to unique resources, discover what yours are and structure your script around them.

• Face your fears. Larry is noted for saying that horror is the only genre that unflinchingly faces reality; it’s been widely documented that trendy horror genres throughout the years are effective because they serve as metaphors for current anxieties (Godzilla came from the fear of the atomic age, torture porn rose during a culture of disgust over military mistreatment of foreign POWs, etc, etc. The level of unflinching honesty that horror directors are able to achieve when confronting real fears and social anxieties is one of the reasons why horror matters so much as a genre. Larry’s advice is to really confront and face your own fears and sources of unrest, and to channel them into your work. The more honest you are about what scares you, the more your work will resonate with people on a gut level and the more effective the horror element will be. As Larry says, "denial is dangerous,” the horror genre is there to not only entertain us, but remind us of reality and hard truths. 

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Today, I am honored, humbled, and extremely excited because today we have the king himself, Roger Corman on the podcast. 

Now, I am still in disbelief that I was able to even have this conversation because Mr. Corman is a man who needs no introduction. Dubbed as the 'King of the B’s' by many, he has produced over 100 movies in the horror & exploitation genres and is still working to this day at the age of 93. 

Roger Corman not only produced an extensive and fundamental body of work but he birthed some of the most notable names in hollywood. James Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd, Martin Scorsese, Jack Nicholson, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Deniro, Ron Howard, Joe Dante and Jonathan Demme are a few of the many people who graduated from the Corman school of production and went on to be some of the brightest names in Hollywood.

This was no accident, as being mentored by Roger Corman was a fast track to success. The unprecedented amounts of responsibility and autonomy that he gave to his directors and crew members, was a magic combination that empowered and educated many of Hollywood’s biggest success stories. He demanded a lot from his people, but because of it, they learned more than they ever would have elsewhere while still being able to develop their individual artistic voices.

We discussed why working for his company was able to skyrocket so many huge careers in Hollywood and we also got into Mr. Corman's leadership strategies for keeping morale high during  the harsh conditions that are common with low budget & indie filmmaking. AND we hear Roger Corman’s keys to making effective horror. All of this and so much more on today’s episode of The Nick Taylor Horror Show.

Before we get started, here are some key takeaways for aspiring directors from this conversation with Roger Corman. 

1. There is always a way. 

Roger Corman is the original renegade filmmaker who blazed trails in independent cinema and did so entirely outside of the Hollywood establishment. Along the way, he relied on a combination of ingenuity, sheer will and a killer work ethic but his approach to production was guided by the idea that there is always a way to do anything. As such, Mr Corman never took no for an answer and would never accept hearing that something couldn’t be done.  

Having the mindset of ‘anything is possible’ can actually drive your mind to find solutions. Since two of the most common terms in Hollywood are ‘no' and 'it’s impossible,' filmmakers need an iron-clad ethic of possibility. Filmmaking is a game of overcoming odds, embracing challenges and breaking the rules sometimes. If you want to break new ground, you need to believe that it’s possible. 

A documentary that does a fantastic job of exploring this idea is King Cohen, the Larry Cohen documentary. Larry Cohen was another filmmaker who lived, in some cases quite dangerously, by this same credo.

1. Plan. Plan. Plan. 

One of the recurring themes of Mr. Corman's advice to filmmakers is the importance of planning. Not just planning your production, and shot list, but planning for when things go wrong, planning for adverse weather, planning for any and every disaster that can occur on set. Mr Corman insists that directors plan everything to a T, but also, that they be flexible enough to abandon the plan at a moment’s notice and improvise as needed. The sheer act of extensively planning every detail of your production will prime your mind for problem-solving, so that if something does go wrong on set, you’ll be sharp enough to think on your feet and find a solution.

1. Be a director, not a dictator. 

Throughout the course of his career, with breakneck schedules, impossible deadlines, and very grueling shoots where everyone had multiple jobs on set, Roger demanded a lot from his cast and crew but to this day, just about everyone who's ever worked for him idolizes him. Mr. Corman emphasized that the key to maintaining high morale and motivating your crew through challenging productions is to treat everybody as an equal. Producing and directing requires that you be a strong leader, but there’s a fine line between leader and dictator, and the latter can lower morale and de-motivate your crew and ultimately harm your movie. 

A key element of doing this effectively is being a good collaborator, which Mr. Corman was known for (Vincent Price talked about how he would integrate every single idea he had into the movies they worked on together). 

Most creative people ultimately want to do good work and will naturally work extremely hard if they feel their efforts are purposeful and contribute to the movie. Allowing people to do their job, being open to their ideas, and staying out of their way can tap a wealth of motivation from your cast and crew that can pull your movie through the most impossible shooting scenarios.

1. Treat horror like sex. 

A constant analogy that Mr. Corman makes when discussing horror is to treat it like sex, which is why he stresses the importance of starting slow, and consistently building tension to a climax. This is how good horror works, how good comedy works, and how good sex works. Remember this on set and in the bedroom.

1. Don’t fake a high budget - tailor your script to fit the budget.

Roger Corman is called the King of the B’s for a reason - he was always able to maximize production value on nearly every film he worked on in countlessly innovative ways which is why his movies always made money. It’s common, particularly in horror, to see movies fight against their own budget with overblown stories, cheap sets & costumes, etc. This gives films a delusion of grandeur that can undermine its story and cause audiences take them less seriously. Instead, taking the opposite approach and tailoring the script and production around the budget is a major opportunity to showcase resourcefulness & storytelling ability (which are critical especially for your first film). Part of doing this is structuring the production around what you have immediate access to... In the case of Roger, he would frequently build a set for one movie, and then write a second movie that could be shot on the same set and kill two birds with one stone.

1. Make the best of every opportunity.

Under Roger Corman, Jonathan Demme was making his directorial debut with Caged Heat, which was a women in prison movie. Despite the fact that the women in prison genre is not exactly known for it’s depth or respectability, Demme guaranteed Mr. Corman that he would deliver the best women in prison movie ever made. 

It’s common for directors to get lazy and rest on the laurels of the blood, gore, nudity and thrills that come with genres like horror and exploitation. A lot of these movies leave out good storytelling and character development, and this is not only how bad movies get made, but it’s how careers end. (Of course, there are many exceptions). 

In the case of Jonathan Demme, he added unexpected layers of depth and social commentary to Caged Heat, the likes of which the genre had never seen before. As a result, Caged Heat remains one of the best reviewed and most highly-regarded women in prison movies ever made. But more importantly, his effort and ambition enabled him to prove himself in the eyes of Roger Corman who handed him over multiple other films to direct because of the level of quality and dignity that he brought to what was considered a gutter genre. Speaking of bringing dignity to gutter genres, Jonathan Demme later went on to direct Silence of the Lambs, one of the few horror movies ever to receive academy recognition. 

I highly recommend Mr. Corman’s autobiography, How I Made A Hundred Movies In Hollywood And Never Lost A Dime - it’s only about $15 on Amazon and it is pure solid gold advice for filmmakers - and it’s wildly entertaining and funny. 

I also highly recommend checking out the conversation I had Joe Dante - Joe is a graduate of the Corman school and discusses a lot of lessons learned from his time working working with Mr. Corman - check it out. 

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, or wherever you listen. Thanks again for listening to the Nick Taylor Horror Show. 

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Bill Moseley is an actor, musician and horror icon.  He burst onto the horror scene in a huge way as Chop Top in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, and has since starred in movies like Repo the Genetic Opera and the TV show Carnivàle. But perhaps most notable is Bill’s chillingly well realized portrayal of Otis B. Driftwood in Rob Zombie’s Firefly family trilogy, including House of 1,000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects, and the up and coming 3 From Hell.

Bill and I talked about his career history, including a pretty incredible story about how he got on the radar of Tobe Hooper for Texas Chainsaw 2 through a short film he made called The Texas Chainsaw Manicure. We also got into details about his acting process and how he gets into the psychotic mindset of characters like Otis. And of course, we discussed what we can expect from 3 From Hell. 

Speaking to Bill was a real treat. I’m a huge fan of him and The Devil’s Rejects is not just one of  my favorite horror movies of all time, but one of my favorite movies of all time. To me it was a perfect blend of fascinating (even lovable) characters in a grounded, believable sun-scorched reality that had the Americana flavorings of classic road movies like Easyriders and Badlands. It delivered the blood in the big way and had moments of palpably bone-chilling psychotic brutality. All of this plus a killer soundtrack.

As you’ll hear in the interview, Bill is an incredibly nice guy, he was so generous with his time and knowledge and I was so humbled to be able to speak to him. 

Here are 3 key creative lessons learned from this conversation with Bill Moseley. 

• Make stuff & put it out there. Bill was a struggling actor who, on a whim, made a fun short film in a day with his buddies called The Texas Chainsaw Manicure. With very little expectation of it getting much recognition, Bill sent it around to multiple networks and it got in front of Tobe Hooper who then cast Bill as Chop Top in Texas Chainsaw 2. This put Bill on the trajectory of being the horror icon he is today. 
• Get out of the way! When filming 3 From Hell, Bill began screwing up Otis' lines because he was over-thinking the performance and becoming insecure. After take after bad take, Bill suddenly heard the voice of Otis in his own psyche tell him to get out of the way and let him do his job. Bill said that he sat the performance out at this point and simply let Otis take over which made the performance go much smoother. This idea of getting out of the way is relevant to most artists, not just actors, who often will stifle the flow of their own creativity by over-thinking the material and finding reasons to feel self conscious. This may be part of being human but it's destructive to the creative process. Sometimes, the best way to serve your art is to get the hell out of its way!
• Art is not safe. During a particularly brutal hotel room scene in The Devil’s Rejects (you know the one) Bill struggled to get through the large number of takes and mentioned to Rob Zombie that he was emotionally struggling to get through the performance. Without skipping a beat, Rob Zombie replied “Art is not safe” - meaning, that working in horror and other darker arts, can take an emotional toll on those involved when it's taken seriously. It’s supposed to. Yes, there are those goofy, schlocky slashers and exploitation films that exists for cheap thrills & entertainment, but then there is the type of horror that is meant to portray larger truths about real evil. Sometimes the only way to properly depict evil is to confront and embrace the inherent danger that comes with exploring it. That’s exactly what Bill did which is probably why Otis is such an effective character (and probably why he’s still stuck in Bill’s head).

Amanda Presmyk is the VP of Production across Cinestate and FANGORIA’s film division. Having started her career in TV with the drug-cartel drama, Queen of the South, Amanda joined Cinestate towards the beginning of its inception, shortly after the release of Brawl in Cell Block 99. In the past two and a half years, she’s worked on such films as Dragged Across Concrete, The Standoff at Sparrow Creek, Puppetmaster: The Littlest Reich, and FANGORIA’s exciting upcoming slate of features including: V.F.W, Satanic Panic, & Castle Freak. 

Amanda and I caught up and talked about her career history, strategic advice for aspiring producers, and what it’s like working across FANGORIA & Cinestate. Before diving in, here are key pieces of advice for aspiring filmmakers from Amanda:

• Resourcefulness is the best resource.  Amanda mentions that one of the most valuable qualities that producers look for in directors is resourcefulness. In the case FANGORIA's upcoming V.F.W, the team observed how much director Joe Begos was able to accomplish in production value and storytelling on his first two films (Almost Human & Mind’s Eye) which both had tiny budgets. This ability to maximize your budget is a huge part of being a director and a very desirable quality in the eyes of producers. 

• Get experience on TV sets. The breakneck speed and brutal hours that come with filming TV shows can make or break most would-be producers. Getting through it is like getting through producer hell-week, which can transform you into a Navy Seal of production, able to handle even the most grueling of film sets.  

• Embrace being a manager & a fast learner. Amanda states that one of the least talked about but most necessary skills of being a producer is a heightened ability to manage people. Demanding shoots, crazy hours, sleepless nights, dangerous special effects, and temperamental actors are some of the day to day challenges of making movies. Producers have to manage all of that while keeping films on time, on budget and of high quality. This requires a dynamic and multi-faceted combination of organizational and people management skills as well as the ability to rapidly learn new skills, since each movie brings its own new set of challenges. 

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Chelsea Stardust is the director of two new fantastic horror features; FANGORIA’s Satanic Panic and Blumhouse’s All That We Destroy. Chelsea began her career working for Ivan Reitman before moving on to Blumhouse where she was a personal assistant to Jason Blum for years, during which she learned an incredible amount about the business of horror. 

With the release of two new feature films in less than a year, Chelsea’s been on fire! We got to chat about her career history and what she’s learned from working with industry forces like Ivan Reitman, Dallas Sonnier, and Jason Blum. We also chatted extensively about Satanic Panic, and what she has in store next.

But first, here are some key insights from this conversation with Chelsea Stardust:

• Work at a company that will invest in you. Jason Blum knew that Chelsea wanted to be a director, so he did everything in his power to give her hands-on experience and was a mentor to her while she worked as his executive assistant. People like Jason Blum, who care about their employees’ career development to this degree are very rare in Hollywood but they do exist. Try to find them and work for them in any way possible.  

• Talk through everything with the writers. Talk through every last word of the script with the writers so you can comprehend every element of nuance, story, and subtext. This will enable you to extend the script’s deeper meaning to your actors, which makes for a much more cohesive movie. This is particularly important if you can’t afford rehearsals. 

• It’s chaos, be kind. This Patton Oswalt quote is a credo that Chelsea stands behind when the going gets tough. Filmmaking is tough, and sets can be incredibly hectic, causing many people to lose their temper. As a director, it’s not only your job to keep it together but to be kind, respectful, and generally fair to all of those around you. Doing so will enable you to be a positive outlier in an industry full of screamers. People want to work with people they like and respect, so the kind example you set can only help your career. Chelsea partially credits her career success to being consistently kind.

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Mitzi Peirone is a director who blew the minds of many with her beautifully realized and spectacularly insane first feature, Braid. Braid was incredibly intricate and sophisticated while delving into completely bonkers territory at times. The horror element of Braid worked both on the gore front and on the existential front which is a very tough balance to pull off. All of this, coupled with a stunning signature aesthetic made Braid one of the most memorable horror titles from the past few years. 

Braid was Mitzi’s first movie and she got it off of the ground entirely from scratch; no connections, no initial funding, nothing but her wits, creativity, and incredible work ethic. Fascinatingly enough, Braid was funded through cryptocurrency. Mitzi and her executive producer created an equity-based crowdfunding campaign that relied on blockchain. This ensured that anyone who invested in the movie got their money back through the automated currency distribution that blockchain offers.

This was a first-of-its-kind film-funding strategy and a serious innovation that Mitzi was able to pull off. Her story is incredibly inspiring and full of so many golden pieces of advice my head nearly spun. (This was my favorite interview so far). It was so hard to narrow this down to only a few key takeaways so I put down 6.  

• DON'T kill your darlings. Despite the old Hemingway adage, it’s usually the seemingly extraneous details that don’t quite translate on paper, that make movies great and give directors their signature style. Certain details that might not move the plot forward, can enable more nuanced elements of your movie, such as tone and character development. Producers are always cutting scripts down to make the storytelling as seamless as possible. This is a good instinct but in the process can sometimes strip out the most distinguishing details of a movie. Always listen to the notes but acknowledge why the material is in the screenplay in the first place. Fight the good fight but choose your battles wisely.

• Innovate. After realizing the limitations of crowdfunding as a non-celebrity, Mitzi knew she needed to find a better way to raise funds. A chance encounter with a blockchain executive inspired her to come up with a more innovative way to raise her funding using cryptocurrency. It was a brilliant idea but it was still a rough road, plagued with multiple disagreements, legal complications, and endless website bugs. But once her blockchain based crowdfunding platform launched, Mitzi raised over $1.5 million for Braid and she was off to the races. 

• Find executives ready to take risks. Mitzi was a first time director when she made Braid, and stated that if she called on a seasoned film executive with a notable track record, she probably would not have gotten a deal. She recommends finding producers aren’t quite as established yet, so you can go the distance together. Someone less successful may not have the name and notoriety but they have a much bigger incentive to make your movie a success because you are both in it together and both of your futures could be impacted by the project’s success. 

• Study the humanities. Mitzi was a dedicated student of literature, philosophy, art and psychology, and as a result, brought an extremely sophisticated sensibility to Braid. The movie was psychologically potent, visually stunning, endlessly intriguing, all while still delivering the horror goods! This comes with being well read, and Mitzi recommends immersing yourself in the Greek tragedies, the humanities and Joseph Campbell’s Hero with a Thousand Faces. 

• Get the right actors. In addition to adding realism and believability to your movie, the right actors can also give credibility to your film which attracts funding and producers. If you don’t have the money for their usual fee, make sure the script gives these actors either great exposure or the opportunity to do something they’ve been wanting to do. A great casting director is also a must. 

• Collaboration. Enable everyone to feel as though they are working with you and not for you. Having a sense of mission on your set, makes the sleepless nights and grueling production schedules way more bearable for your crew and ultimately makes your movie better. Establishing this kind of morale is best accomplished by giving everyone on the crew a voice in the production. The spirit of collaboration is important to have on set because it makes everyone feel personally invested in the project, which in turn inspires them to work harder and more passionately. So on set, make it a village; enable, empower, listen, and make it a mission you are all on together. 

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Produced by Simpler Media

Josh Lobo is a first time director, having recently premiered his ambitious and notably sophisticated first feature, I Trapped the Devil. The taught & tense ‘tone poem’ of a movie, echoes early Roman Polanski with nods to Mario Bava. It’s a chilling and rewarding slow burn that marks the beginning of an exciting career. 

Josh and I discussed filmmaking and how he was able to get his first feature off of the ground. 

First, here are Josh Lobo’s key insights for aspiring filmmakers: 

• Get some skin in the game. They say never put your own money into a production but in Josh’s case, he liquidated his funds to pay for his movie. In doing so, he quickly realized that if the film failed, his entire financial foundation would fail as well, which significantly raised the stakes and forced him to make the movie a success. This is true trial by fire, and sometimes gambling big on you our own success is what can make you successful. 

• Don’t over-plan your shots, focus on what’s in front of you. Josh refuses to story boars or shot list because it enables him to approach a set without pre-conceived notions of scenes and performances. This is definitely a risky move, but it’s also what David Lynch does to get the most raw and organic takes. Doing this requires you to know your crew and location exceptionally well, so if you throw out the shotlists and storyboards, make sure you do your homework first. 

• Find and nourish a crew community. Developing a creative shorthand is key to being a director and having consistent collaborators is a key part of doing this. Work on developing your working relationships with a crew over time. After a while, you will all be in lockstep together and your productions will go more smoothly because you will have a circle of people that you can rely on when the going gets tough on set. Being able to pick his crew is so important to Josh that he claims he’d walk off of a project if he couldn’t pick his crew. He also very humbly states that the crew is what made his movie so good. Find your crew, and nourish your relationship with them. 

• Collaborate closely with your actors. Good actors are critical to the success of any movies but particularly low budget ones. One of the best ways to attract great actors and get incredible performances out of them is to turn to them as actors to help you flesh out the characters. Find out what your actors want to do and craft the characters and performances around what they are passionate about. You and your actors are there to find it together. Being receptive to their ideas and desires allows them to feel more involved and invested in the project which will inspire them to work harder and give a better performance.

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Produced by Simpler Media

Phil Nobile Jr. is a producer, director and journalist who was recently appointed to one of the coolest jobs in the world, Editor-in-Chief of FANGORIA Magazine. Between the recent ascension to the FANGORIA publishing throne and executive producing Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror, Phil has had a hell of a year. We got to catch up with him in New York on all things FANGO did a fair share of geeking out along the way. 

FANGORIA turns 40 this year and is celebrating big with issue number 4, available now! If you haven’t already SUBSCRIBE today at www.FANGORIAsubscribe.com. You can follow Phil on Twitter and Instagram at @PhilNobileJr.

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Produced by Simpler Media

Sonny Laguna is a Sweden-based director who began his career with a number of super low budget films (costing between $5 and $10K) with his co-director Tommy Wiklund. He eventually got on the radar of S. Craig Zahler as he was writing Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich. Zahler and the team at FANGORIA were so impressed with Sonny & Tommy’s resourcefulness as low budget filmmakers, that they handed them directorial duties on Puppet Master.  

We spoke to Sonny about his career history, first few films, Puppetmaster, and his advice for aspiring horror filmmakers. Here are Sonny Laguna’s key takeaways for aspiring horror directors.  

• Embrace your limitations. Sonny’s first few films were extremely low budget ($5-$10K) and had a stripped down and gritty, low-fi look to them which worked in their favor because it gave them a signature style and energy. While it’s important to maximize production value, it’s also important not to constantly fight your film’s budget. 
• We’ve all seen low budget movies that pretend to be high budget movies and the result is a movie that’s disjointed and pathetic looking. It’s better to polish what you have in front of you than to work in vain to maximize a production value you don’t have. The low-fi look works particularly well for horror because it feels more realistic. The best example of this effect is in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. 
• Write a short story every week. This is a piece of advice that Sonny gives frequently to directors and screenwriters who want to sharpen their ability to tell stories. Bad scripts are often caused by a lack of storytelling ability, writing a story every week is a way to get bad story ideas out of your system while sharpening your storytelling skill. So start writing.
• Start small. A lot of filmmakers have big elaborate scripts and complicated storylines which can be damn near impossible to make, especially when it’s their first movie. While it’s important to dream big, oversized and overly-complicated projects can inhibit creativity because they overwhelm the director. In the beginning, the most important part is getting a project wrapped and under your belt. Sonny recommends making films with what you have immediate access to. Robert Rodriguez & Kevin Smith did exactly this with their first films. Start small and gradually work your way upwards to bigger projects.
• Find a complementary collaborator. Sonny and Tommy both have similar sensibilities but different skill sets and different areas of focus. Sonny typically works with the actors while Tommy focuses on the technical aspects of directing. This is the key to their successful partnership; having a similar sensibility but different areas of focus. This enables you maximize the efficiency of your collaboration while preventing conflicts.  

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Produced by Simpler Media

Beetlejuice will forever hold a very special place in my heart. It wasn’t only my quintessential gateway horror movie, but it shaped a lifelong unapologetic appreciation for all things weird and macabre. The movie had a ‘lightning in a bottle’ combination of a devilishly rebellious spirit and a singularity of vision that introduced the world to the wonders of Tim Burton. It was, and forever will be an iconic and magical movie.

Every Saturday morning, Beetlejuice was my go-to cartoon, and my VHS of the movie practically melted from being watched so much. I had the Halloween costume (as a child and as a grown up) and at six years old, I got a ‘time out’ for making my Beetlejuice action figure say, “Nice fucking model!” in the first grade. Needless to say, Beetlejuice is a part of me.

The movie is just as sacred to countless others for all of the same reasons, which is likely why the Beetlejuice sequels and remakes have remained in production hell for decades. How can you possibly reimagine a classic that means so much to so many people? The answer: turn it into a musical.

Despite being a little apprehensive at first, what struck me within the first ten minutes of Beetlejuice the Musical was that it was developed with a tremendous amount of love and respect for the original movie. The show encompasses all of the many facets of what made the movie so great while expanding on the story in ways that are equal parts inventive and reverential. It even has several nods to the cartoon which just plain made me happy.

This is a killer show and I urge you to go see it. The costumes, the music, the humor, and the insanely elaborate Burtonesque sets and visuals are an overwhelming and blissful experience for fans of the original, plus the anarchistic spirit of lewdness and rudeness from the movie is retained in full force. I don’t know what else to say other than Beetjeluice the Musical is downright fucking awesome and it completely floored me.

We sat down with the writers of the show, Scott Brown (Sharp Objects, Castle Rock) and Anthony King (Silicon Valley, Broad City), and learned all about how they were able to turn such a beloved icon into a fantastic Broadway experience.

Before we get into the interview, here are 3 key pieces of advice for aspiring writers from Anthony King and Scott Brown.  

• Find a writing group. A very common piece of advice for mastery in any domain is to have a mastermind group of likeminded peers who you can turn to to offer you feedback, inspiration, and the sharing of resources. This is probably most critical for writers. Multiple authors, and screenwriters frequently have writing groups, in which they have their work critiqued by others whom they trust. Scott & Anthony credit this practice for enabling them to grow significantly as writers. Try to find or create your own writing group, even if it’s just one person (for Steven King, it’s his wife).
• Be comfortable being mad. Scott and Anthony have been collaborators for years, and claim that the ability to get super mad at each other, and then not take it personally, is key to their collaboration. Do they always agree on everything? No. But to have a working collaborative professional relationship requires embracing and exploring conflict, which they do comfortably.
• Write to the end of each idea. There was a major plot point that Beetlejuice the Musical consciously did not address and it ultimately made the story much better and more honest. This plot point, which we mention down below, (look for the spoiler warning) was in earlier drafts of the script, and by exploring it fully and thoroughly, Scott and Anthony realized that it had to be taken out. Had they not explored this plot point, they forever would have been tormented wondering whether or not it belonged in the story. When writing a script or a story, certain plot points have to be explored to their very conclusion to know whether or not they fit in the larger story as a whole. Writers can only clearly see things like these retrospectively – in other words, you won’t know what belongs in your story until you get to the very end of it. Scott even went on to say: “You can’t fix it if it’s not finished.” So write all the way to the end, reevaluate, and rewrite.

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Produced by Simpler Media

Eric Pham is a director who started his career in visual effects. Throughout the course of his career he worked extensively under the great Robert Rodriguez on such films as Spy Kids, Grindhouse, and Sin City. Eric also did work on Lethal Weapon 4 and Mission Impossible 3.

His newest movie, Flay, is a nightmarish thriller about a supernatural entity of an ancient native American shaman who reeks bloody havoc on the people who summoned him. Flay stars Alita : Battle Angel's Elle LaMont.

Eric also faced quite a bit of heat from Sony due to the resemblance of his character to Slender Man, who they had the rights to. Eric actually fought back against Sony and took the entire thing to court! They ended up settling but, long story short, Eric was an indie filmmaker who went against a major studio to fight for his film - he got his movie released 2 years after wrapping and Flay is now set for an April 2nd release on Amazon, iTunes and other streaming services.

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Produced by Simpler Media

In Search of Darkness is an upcoming horror documentary that comprehensively tells the story of 80’s horror, in all of it’s bloody, nostalgic glory. Having completed a successful Kickstarter campaign that surpassed it’s goal on day 2, director David Weiner is currently raising finishing funds for the film on Indiegogo, and horror fans couldn’t be more excited. In the midst of all of this rampant nostalgia for all things 80’s, In Search of Darkness celebrates the most iconic decade in horror history, and features interviews with such people as:  Jeffrey Combs, Stuart Gordon, Brian Yuzna, Joe Bob Briggs, Mick Garris, Larry Cohen, Leigh Whannell, Joe Dante, Barbara Crampton, Heather Langenkamp, Dee Wallace, Keith David, Greg Nicotero, Bill Mosely, Kane Hodder, Sean Cunningham, Tom Holland, and many many more. This is going to be incredible. Go to 80shorrordoc.com to donate to their Indiegogo campaign today, and hurry because the campaign closes on March 30th. I enjoyed talking to David a lot, he’s a very passionate and knowledgeable filmmaker - we dove deep into the documentary and did a whole bunch of geeking out about 80’s movies. Here is, David Weiner, director of In Search of Darkness, the Definitive 80s Horror Documentary.

Shep Gordon is a legend in multiple industries. Manager extraordinaire to such acts as Alice Cooper, Blondie, Teddy Pendergrass, Gipsy Kings, Rick James and many others. Shep also was the sole inventor of the celebrity chef, paving the way for names like Emeril Lagasse and Anthony Bourdaine. What many people don’t know, is that Shep was also a major horror producer back in the day, and produced a number of classic titles from Wes Craven and John Carpenter including: They Live, Village of the Damned, The People Under the Stairs, Prince of Darkness and Shocker.

Above all things, Shep is an extraordinary human being and has a lot to teach the world, particularly those who work in entertainment. Shep first got on my radar with the fantastic documentary from Mike Myers about him called Supermensch. Supermensch is a movie that I rewatch at least 3 times a year - the lessons in it are absolutely golden, and Shep's life story not only uncovers the keys to having a prolific life, but shows you how to do a lot of good along the way.

It’s a really fantastic movie, and a downright fascinating and hysterical watch. I also highly recommend Shep’s autobiography, They Call me Supermensch, which is also loaded with some of the most incredibly actionable  insight I’ve ever heard on the topics of success, business, entertainment, and life in general. Clearly, I’m a profound fan of Shep, and was very humbled that he took the time to speak to me and answer my questions. I was super nervous during this interview, mostly because Shep really means a great deal to me so this was super exciting.

Soo, I’m at a loss for where to even begin recapping the major lessons from this conversation but here are three key takeaways from my conversation with Shep Gordon:

• Don’t wait for history to be made, make it yourself. When managing Alice Cooper, Shep realized early that the only way to break through the noise of the music industry, is to stop waiting around for audiences and record labels to take notice of your act, and instead force them to with a spectacle they cant ignore. Shep became renowned at crafting large & elaborate PR stunts, most notably having a truck with a naked image of Alice Cooper with a python over his genitals, break down in the middle of Picadilly circus. This stunt sold out stadiums and gave Alice a huge presence in England. The learning here is to stop waiting for the powers that be to take notice, and force them to by creating history yourself.
• Study Joseph Campbell. Shep regularly re-watches the Bill Moyer conversational documentary series with Joseph Campbell (which is on Netflix right now). Multiple people, including George Lucas, cite the work of Joseph Campbell as pricelessly inspirational and insightful. In fact, George Lucas used his writings on the hero’s journey and mono-myth archetypes as the foundation for Star Wars. Joseph Campbell teaches students to follow their bliss, and chart their own path towards heroism. Ultimately, Campbell's work is a source of empowerment that comes from centuries of wisdom. These works are a guiding force in Shep’s life and therefore something very worth checking out.  
• Create Win Wins. It’s no surprise that the entertainment business is shark infested; loaded with bullies, fast-talkers and schemers who in many cases, are motivated entirely by their own self interest. Across both music and movies, two notoriously cut-throat industries, Shep was the big exception. He was a perpetually nice guy and always did compassionate business and was still extremely successful. That being said, in order to operate in any of these businesses, you do need to have the capacity to be extremely tough and assertive or else you’ll be completely eaten alive. Shep, was able to be both a nice guy, and a tough motherfucker, and the key to doing that was ensuring that there was always a win win and that no real blood was ever drawn in any confrontation. In every deal, there is usually a loser and a winner; someone who gets a bargain and someone who gets hung out to dry, at least a little. Shep goes to great lengths to make sure that, even in difficult and complex business dealings, there are always only winners and both sides are having their needs being met tremendously. This is big, and it’s very unique to Shep, and it’s one of the reasons why everyone in the industry completely and totally adores him.

God, there are SO MANY MORE things to learn from Shep, so go see Supermensch, go read Shep’s autobiography, and don’t forget to subscribe to the Nick Taylor Horror show on Apple Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and everywhere you listen. Thanks again for listening to the Nick Taylor Horror Show.

Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr are former apprentices of the legendary Stan Winston, and for the past 30 years, their company Amalgamated Dynamics has been at the forefront of some of the most epic and large scale  practical effects in Hollywood. From the Graboids from Tremors, to the Aliens and Predators and even the dinosaurs from Jurassic World, Tom and Alec have been behind them all, and through the process have built one of the most prolific practical effects studios in history.

Despite their extensive accomplishments and indelible name in the industry, Alec and Tom still face the challenges that come with being a practical effects studio in a CGI driven Hollywood. Condensed timelines, lower budgets, unrealistic expectations, and the ever-present over-reliance on digital effects, are just a few of the challenges that come with doing what they do. But regardless, Tom and Alec continue to fight the good fight for practical effects. We dive into the challenges and splendor of practical effects and learn more about ADI’s creative processes behind creating some of the most iconic creatures in cinematic history. All of this and so much more on today's episode of the Nick Taylor horror show.

Overall I feel like this interview does a great job at illustrating the trails and tribulations of practical affect studios in this era of CGI. Regardless, the good fight is being fought as more and more directors like Guillermo Del Toro and JJ Abrams are outspokenly utilizing practical effects for their major blockbusters and blending it with digital. Even James Wan opted to use as many practical makeup effects as he could for his CGI extravaganza, Aquaman.

The pendulum is swinging back towards practical, and I personally believe that the reason we’re seeing so much rampant nostalgia for the 80’s and 90’s is because of practical effects - people yearn for movies that had effects and characters that they could feel, that had true tangible gravity that their minds and hearts believed. It’s not just makeup effects either, explosions, car crashes, and other stunts and special effects are simply way more effective when they’re done practically. Just look at Mad Max Fury Road - George Miller did the majority of those insane car sequences entirely practically. (I could go on and on)

Here are some key takeaways for aspiring practical effects makeup artists from Tom Woodruff Jr. and Alec Gillis.

• Provide options for the director. Alec speaks to the importance of presenting different design options to directors so that you can get into his or her head and instantly understand the look they are going for through trial and error. Alec recommends presenting a boring option, an option that is completely out of left field, and then something in between.

• Be a capitalist. Alec states that in creative endeavors, you need to understand business, probably moreso than in non-creative endeavors. Artistic professions are extraordinarily difficult to make a living at and require not only endless amounts of passion, but financial acuity as well. Alec says, that if you are an artist it is incumbent upon you to understand business, your products, your marketability, and to get out there and network and promote yourself properly.

• Don’t forget to 'do you'. When Tom and Alec are recruiting other artists, they ask their applicants to show them not just what they worked on when they were working on big movies, but what they created on their own time. They want to see what kind of art matters most to their applicants because doing this enables them to really get a grasp on what their people are most passionate about. This is why it's critically important to constantly be improving your craft through your own personal side projects. It not only enables you to get valuable practice in, but helps you further develop and arrive at your own personal aesthetic. This is part of what shapes artists. Tom and Alec recommend building an extensive portfolio of your own personal projects because it will showcase your unique sensibility.

Jim Ojala is a special effects makeup artist, director, and co-host of my new favorite Shudder show, The Core, which is half horror talk show/half practical effects how-to with amazing guests such as Leigh Whannell, The Soska Sisters, and the lord of darkness himself, Glenn Danzig!

Additionally, Jim Ojala is a Troma alum. His latest creature feature, Strange Nature, fairly bursts at the seams with this schlocky pedigree. Strange Nature seamlessly integrates Troma’s no-holds-barred insanity with enough of a grounded storyline and authentic characters for audiences to stay engaged and take the film seriously. Overall, the movie is a great deal of fun and hits you with a very strong, timely message about the dangerous biological implications of industrialism.

Here are Jim Ojala’s three keys for aspiring indie filmmakers:

• Show progress – as he was raising funds for Strange Nature, Jim was already building the creatures. Investors and producers were excited to see something real and tangible to indicate that the film was really happening. More often than not, filmmakers have nothing but a script or an idea; but to have something—anything--that shows that you are already working on your film is super helpful when it comes to pitching producers.
• Use your own skills as much as you can. Jim and his creature effects company, Ojala Productions, made all of the mutant animals (except for the deformed frogs, which were real!). This enabled his low-budget movie to look and feel way more expensive.  If Jim had tried to hire a company to make all of his creatures, he would still be trying to raise money. (Damien Leone did a similar thing when he made all the effects for Terrifier). Low-budget filmmaking requires you to wear many hats. Figure out which of your personal skills will contribute best to the film’s production value.
• Take a hard look at your script. Jim recounts that there were many scenes and sequences from Strange Nature that he had to cut from the final film because they didn’t work. This was super painful, since those sequences were costly and time consuming.  He recommends that you edit your script mercilessly before you start shooting and shoot only what you need when working on a limited budget.
• Get a strong AD. Jim’s first AD (Assistant Director) cracked under pressure and bailed on him four days into production, which set him back significantly. Indie filmmaking requires a different breed of AD: specifically, people with the flexibility, resilience, and resourcefulness to handle the ups and downs that come with low-budget filmmaking. It is imperative for indie directors to find proven indie ADs who can weather the storm with them. This is huge.
• BONUS: Work at Troma. Jim went so far as to state that Troma is where all aspiring filmmakers should start, because it’s incredibly grueling and forces you to toughen up in all the ways directors need to be tough. It’s also an exciting, fun and highly collaborative environment. Jim’s description of his time at Troma is comparable to a military hell week, but it’s the kind of experience that gives your indie filmmaking spirit the resolve of a Navy Seal.

Hospitality is a no holds barred indie thriller with compellingly memorable characters and a healthy dose of Americana pulp. It’s not horror, per se, but utilizes a number of  horror elements which very effectively flavor this southern fried neo-noir with a fun, enjoyable eeriness.

We sat down with writer/director duo, David Guglielmo and Nick Chakwin, who were kind enough to take us through their journeys on getting Hospitality (their second film) off the ground and into a theatrical release. Along the way, we dug into details about how they broke into filmmaking and had a great chat that ended up LOADED with gems of insight for aspiring indie filmmakers. We got into everything from their directing and writing processes along with tips for getting your script into the hands of the right producers. Lots of great advice in here (might want to take notes on this one).

Top Insights from David Guglielmo & Nick Chakwin

• If you can’t afford rehearsals, hire existing chemistry among actors. Chemistry between actors is a critically important asset and is typically achieved during the rehearsal process. When making Re-Animator, Stuart Gordon extensively rehearsed the entire script night after night for weeks with the cast, as if it were a play (it helped that his cast consisted of former stage actors).

However, given the nature of low budget, indie filmmaking, you can’t always find time to rehearse, therefore, consider hiring actors who have an existing relationship. This is exactly what Nick and David did with two of their key actors in Hospitality, Emmanuelle Chriqui & JR Bourne, who knew each other for literally, decades. Chemistry always translates on screen and strengthens the believability of your characters' relationships and therefore strengthens the movie. So if you can’t build chemistry, hire preexisting chemistry between actors who have either worked together on previous productions or are close friends.

• Find peripheral jobs. When he was raising money for his first film, David’s casting director offered him a job as an assistant. This endeavor further enabled David to make relevant connections and get to know the inner workings of casting, filmmaking, and producing which translated into priceless industry knowledge. Rather than picking a job outside of the industry you want to be in, find ways to work within it so those years can be productive for the knowledge they can provide and the relationships they can solidify.
• Just shoot already! Nick said that the best advice he got when he was trying to film his first movie, was to go film his first movie. In the throes of fundraising for their first feature, No Way to Live, Nick and David realized that the magic budget number they were aiming for, wasn’t entirely necessary and that they needed to get production underway immediately. The momentum signaled to other producers that they were the real deal and it also added a sense of urgency to their producer pitches, which helped them get investment decisions made faster.

Pledge is a recent indie horror gem from director/writer team Daniel Robbins and Zack Weiner. It follows three hapless college kids as they attempt to pledge for a highly exclusive fraternity and are subsequently subjected to a sadistic gauntlet of unspeakably horrific hazing rituals. Pledge mixes humor and horror in a well-balanced and thoroughly engaging narrative with main characters you genuinely care about. At the same time, Pledge manages to effortlessly delve into themes of elitism and the culture of bullying in a way that’s relevant without being heavy-handed.

Prior to Pledge, Zack and Daniel made Uncaged, a teen werewolf horror thriller from 2016. Zack and Daniel were friends in high school and went on to make low-budget horror movies together, right here in my hometown of New York. They’ve been enjoying a great amount of success lately, as Pledge was recently acquired at Fantasia Fest by IFC Midnight and is on its way to Hulu.

In addition to being a downright great time of a movie, Pledge is a prime example of an intelligently produced, lean and mean indie horror masterpiece that looks and feels way more expensive than it actually is. It also introduces a particularly strong horror mythology that is ripe with possibilities for sequels (I’d personally love to see Pledge unfold into a franchise).

We sat down with Daniel Robinson (director), Zack Weiner (writer and actor), and Zach Byrd (one of the main actors) from Pledge, and explored the key lessons of indie horror filmmaking that they learned while making Pledge.

Here are key insights from the guys of Pledge:

• It’s all about the DP, baby. By DP, I obviously mean Director of Photography, you perverts. Your DP is the person who can make your low-budget movie look way more expensive. Have you ever started watching a super low-budget movie, and because of the low production value you find yourself completely checking out of it? It happens to me all the time, and I feel snobby saying it, but it’s a real thing that you can’t help. Because in order to psychologically believe a movie, it has to have a level of quality that translates to believability. This is critically important when making your first few films. The low-budget look can be a kiss of death for first-time film makers. It’s critically important to make your movies have the highest production value possible. So take the time needed to find yourself an incredible Director of Photography, because they are the one who is going to show you how to make the movie you want to make. Daniel and Zack also mentioned the benefit of working with a DP who has a gaffer background, because they understand lighting really well.
• Turn your cast and crew into a brain trust. If there’s a technical challenge on set, a flaw in the script, or any kind of hiccup during production, toss the challenge out to your cast and crew to help solve. When filming, you have dozens of creative people all around you, and chances are, someone on your set has dealt with the same issue before or will approach the problem from a different perspective than you do. Your job as the director isn’t necessarily to have all the answers, instead your job is to find all the answers. Your cast and your crew can be your best problem solvers and collaborators. Not to utilize them is a wasted opportunity.
• Create a director checklist. Dan has a whole list of specific pieces of advice and insight from other directors. For every movie he works on, Dan picks five specific insights that he turns into a checklist. Then he checks it off every day of filming to make sure he is maximizing his opportunity as a director. Dan also took a cue from what Coppola did on The Godfather and wrote out the potential pitfalls for each scene to make sure they all worked as well as possible. If you’re reading this, you probably read director interviews and watch feature length commentaries, so start your own list. EVERNOTE is a great place to start. Wouldn’t you want to walk on set with a checklist of advice from people like Coppola, Scorsese, and Tarantino? Make your list, and keep it with you when you shoot, or even write.
• Key Resources:
• • Read:
  • • Making Movies by Sidney Lumet  
    • Kazan on Directing by Elia Kazan
    • Rebel Without a Crew by the incredible Robert Rodriguez - one of my personal favorites
    • Go into the Story, a screenwriting blog series by Scott Myers on The Blacklist
  • Watch video essays--Dan obsessively watches videos on YouTube, for free, that dissect the nuances and techniques behind some of your favorite movies.

Mick Garris is one of the most prominent names in horror history; he is a prolific writer, prolific director, a prolific human being in every sense of the word.

One of the most interesting things about Mick is that he’s been working in horror in one way or another since the 70’s and has watched cinematic history unfold. He began his career answering phones on Star Wars and went on to do publicity work on An American Werewolf in London and he even makes a cameo appearance in The Howling (he’s the guy on the couch at the end watching Dee Wallace turn into a werewolf on TV).

Mick has produced, written and directed a countless amount of movies and TV shows and has had a famously long standing collaborative relationship with Stephen King. Mick has also worked on such films as: Critters 2, The Fly 2, Psycho 4 - The Beginning, The Shining (TV movie), Bag of Bones, Hocus Pocus, The Stand, Riding the Bullet, Sleepwalkers, Batteries Not Included & multiple TV series including: Tales from the Crypt, Amazing Stories, Freddy’s Nightmares, and Masters of Horror.

Mick has been interviewing big names in horror for decades and you probably know him best for his podcast, Post Mortem with Mick Garris - if you haven’t heard it, turn this off right now and go listen to Post Mortem, right now. Seriously, I’ll wait…

Also be sure to check out Mick’s new film, Nightmare Cinema, coming to theaters in February.

In addition to having worked in horror for so many decades,  on so many movies in so many different capacities (writer, producer, director), Mick is beloved in the industry has had close friendships with some of the biggest names in horror; Tobe Hooper, Wes Craven, George Romero, John Carpenter, Joe Dante, Guillermo Del Toro all have the pleasure of Mick’s friendship --- on top of being incredibly knowledgeable, Mick  is a genuinely sweet and kind person. I had a wonderful time speaking to him, and hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did.

Now, here are 3 keys from Mick Garris for aspiring horror filmmakers:

• Keep Calm and Write On - Even if your script doesn’t get bought, it can still have an impact later down the line. A lot of aspiring screenwriters are put off by the risk of spending months on a spec script because there’s always a chance it won’t get made. Mick tells us that’s not the point. Even if it doesn’t get made, a producer may still read it, take note of your style, dialogue, or storytelling ability and contact you for something else later on. Because of this, it’s important to approach everything you write or create as a potential calling card and potential stepping stone. Don’t skimp on quality because it’s “just a spec script.” Spec scripts matter.
• • The other thing about writing on spec, is that when you do, the script is entirely yours. Mick has written a ton of projects, a lot of which have gotten made, but some of which haven’t gotten made. In Mick's experience, pitching a fully developed script, as opposed to just a concept or treatment, enables you to have way more control over the project. When you pitch a concept, producers are likely to assign multiple writers, other producers and multiple others who will want to weigh in and leave their mark on your project - this quickly causes ‘film by committee’ which no director wants.
  • Lastly, and possibly the most important thing about writing spec scripts, is this: it enables you to work on your craft. Each script you write makes you a better screenwriter - so to avoid writing that script because you’re afraid it won’t get sold is preposterous, because the more scripts you write, the better your writing gets and the more and the more likely you’ll be to sell a script. It’s important to hone your storytelling, dialogue and writing skills, and spec scripts allow you to do all of those. So write that script as well as you can - if it doesn’t get bought it can open doors for you and if it does get bought, you’ll have more control over the project but regardless, you’ll be a better writer and storyteller having written it. Which segues nicely into the next point.

• Read On Writing By Stephen King - In an interview, George RR Martin (of Game of Thrones Fame) asked Stephen King, and I quote, "how the fuck do you write so many books so fast?" This book tells you how. It’s the most straightforward, no nonsense, actionable guide for not just aspiring writers and screenwriters, but artists in general. A lot of important people cite it as a critical volume  and it’s an easy read. I’ve read it and listened to it, and I recommend doing both. Stephen King does the narration, and he’s not only hilarious at times but, it feels like he’s sitting down talking to you and giving you writing advice, which is super cool. So listen to it to get the basic principles, then read it to really let those principles sink in. On Writing by Stephen King. CHECK IT OUT.

• Ego is the Enemy - Mick touched on something that doesn’t get discussed very often, but makes a huge difference in careers -  be the kind of person people enjoy working with. You know those actors that fall of the map and you never hear from them again and you think to yourself ‘what ever happened to so and so?’ Most likely they were assholes on set and were never hired again. Same goes for directors, same goes for writers. Be the kind of person who is enjoyable to work with. Mick is adored in the industry and always have been, and it’s because he’s not only a sweet and wonderful human being, he’s also a great collaborator. Being collaborative is a big element of Mick’s success both as a director, writer and producer - there is no more communal job than filmmaking, so while it’s important to fight for your vision, always, be open to the fact that some of the best ideas can come from outside of yourself.

• BONUS: Don’t network - be a good friend - Your immediate circle of friends can be a huge part of your success. Mostly because of the inspirational value they can bring you. Mick's closest friends were people like Tobe Hooper, Stephen King, George Romero, Wes Craven, the list goes on. Imagine how much they shaped him as an artist, and imagine how much he helped shape all of them. Organize dinners and hang outs with people who inspire you - you are the sum total of the five people you spend the most amount of time with - so choose your circle of friends wisely.

That’s all we have for this week, big huge thanks to Mick Garris for being so generous with his knowledge. Be sure to check out Mick’s podcast, Post Mortem on the Blumhouse network.  

Links: 

• Post Mortem with Mick Garris Podcast: https://postmortempodcast.libsyn.com/
• Mick Garris on Twitter: https://twitter.com/postmortemmg?lang=en
• Mick Garris on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/postmortemgram/?hl=en
• Mick Garris Video Interviews: https://www.mickgarrisinterviews.com/

Bill Lustig is an American filmmaker, director, producer - perhaps best known as the director of the New York exploitation slasher classic, Maniac, starring Joe Spinelli with effects by Tom Savini (who actually is in the film and has a great moment where he gets his head blown off - the scene may rival Scanners as the best exploding head sequence in cinema history).

Maniac was Bill’s first movie and the story behind the making of it was full of timeless lessons in independent filmmaking. There’s a particularly great story about how he and his team premiered Maniac at the Cannes Film Festival (if you can picture Maniac playing at Cannes).  

Fun fact: Bill is the nephew of Jake LaMotta, the boxer who Robert De Niro played in Raging Bull. Also, Bill was originally supposed to direct True Romance, as he was Quentin Tarantino’s first choice as a director - Bill even wrote the ending. Another fun fact is that before horror, Bill started his career in hardcore pornography, and was heavily immersed in the grindhouse culture of New York city’s famous 42nd street - we talk about all of this and so much more on today’s episode of the Nick Taylor Horror Show!

Top pieces of insight from William Lustig:

• Get the train moving - When pitching a movie, it’s critical to remember that there are thousands of other people with scripts and ideas, just as good, if not better than yours. What separates those who get funding versus those who don’t, is momentum and tangibility. If all you have is a script or an idea for a movie, in the eyes of investors, you pretty much got nothing. For producers to be interested, they need to know you are capable of bringing this vision to life and seeing it through to completion, which is why they look for signs that the project is moving forward. The metaphor of getting the train out of the station is a good one, because to wait for everything to be perfect and for producers to jump on board before you go into production is a fool’s errand because the sheer act of going into production indicates to producers that the movie is real, and that you’re a worthwhile investment because you can make things happen. Movement is critical in this regard, and frequently, directors will pitch producers who say no at first, but jump back on board when the movie further in development - so the other part of this is no might not always mean no, it could mean, not now.

• Don’t listen to Bill, never give up! I gotta disagree with a piece of advice Bill gave and that is that if you’re not making movies by 30, you should give up. Let’s examine some case studies: Wes craven was 34 when he made Last House on the Left; Ridley Scott was 40 when he made his first major film, The Duelists, and then went on to do Alien; Mick Garris was 33 when he first began screenwriting and didn’t get to direct until he was 37, with Critters 2; Terry Gilliam was 35 when he made his first feature; Alejandro González iñárritu was 37 when he did Amores Perros; Ang Lee was 38, when he did his first film; Sam Mendes was 34 when he made American Beauty. The list goes on, point being: it’s never too late.

• Never underestimate the power of showmanship: When Bill was screening Maniac at the Cannes Film festival, one of his reps insisted that it be shown at the smallest theatre available. This seems entirely contrarian, BUT, the purpose of the small screen was to ensure that the movie would sell out and there would be lines around the block creating a visual spectacle and demand for the movie. This gets attention at a film auction circus like the Cannes Film festival - where it’s imperative that you make a splash to be noticed. Furthermore, he gave most of the tickets away to local high school and college kids to boost the youthful energy of the audience so the producers and investors in the theatre would experience their energetic reactions and make them way more interested in acquiring the film. These are brilliant strategies, and really underscore the importance of the atmosphere that you must create around your film at all times. What it taught me, was that directing doesn’t stop when the movie is done and you shout: ‘that’s a wrap.’ You have to be a director on and off set and constantly create a spectacle. As a result of this stunt, Bill and his team walked out of Cannes with a major deal for Maniac which set him up for a successful career in filmmaking.

Links

• William Lustig’s Twitter Profile: @William_Lustig
• Blue Underground DVD & Blu Ray Cult Classics: underground.com">www.blue-underground.com