Your upcoming movie The Passage - in a few words, what's it going to
be about?
A man meets the Devil and has no escape from his grasp.
What were your inspirations when writing The Passage? The
film was inspired by a nightmare I had, where I was followed by demons
wearing red cloaks. So I figured, why not write a story about a man
experiencing a day full of lingering pure evil. And in the end, meeting
the Devil. The
Passage is described as a "film for horror fans by horror
fans" - so do talk about your fondness for the genre as such for a
bit! As far as I can remember, I just loved horror films in
general. Whether it was a cheesy flick from the 80's that had awful
effects and a comedic value over all or a dark disturbing tale like The Shining, I just always wanted more. My parents would take
me to the video store every weekend and ask me to pick something out and
every time I'd get yelled at for grabbing the first VHS with a horrifying
cover that I could find. I'm glad they were cool enough to let me watch it
anyways. I always thought about how I wanted to bring a story of my own to
the big screen, but only in the last few years I found the confidence and
the outlet to do so. I'm addicted. So what can you tell us about your movie's approach
to horror (as in suspense vs sudden shocks, atmosphere vs all-out gore and
the like)? The approach we are taking with The Passage
is
really to just tell a story that has not been told before. There has been
plenty about making a deal, or selling your soul to the Devil based on
your sins, but nothing that says the Devil just chooses who he wants in
hell. And he sure won't be a man in a suit and tie, or a dude with red
face paint and a pitchfork. We are creating our own image of the Devil and
we will use nothing but sinister vibes and minimal gore to keep the viewer
holding on to their seat.
You of course also have to talk about the
monster in your movie for a bit, and how is it achieved? Our
monster is the Devil himself. I don't want to give too much away of
course, but I'll tell you right now, he is something that will stick with
you and make you peek over at the dark corner of your bedroom at night. Anything
you can tell us about the cast of The Passage yet, and why exactly
these people? Our cast is excellent, they all came to us
showing their passion for the story. And they were chosen fairly quickly.
These people believe in my story and fit the roles far too well. I almost
didn't have to think while casting. As far as I know, you're still running a
fundraiser for The Passage as we speak - so what can you tell us
about your campaign? Our campaign is set up through IndieGoGo
gogo it is going well so far. We are asking for some help on behalf of
the horror community to take the film to another level. But to be honest,
money is the least of our worries at this point. We will make this happen
no matter what.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-passage-a-short-horror-film/x/11429177#/story
Once the budget's in place, what's
the schedule - and any idea when and where the movie might be released
onto the general public yet? We are filming during the
first week of November. The movie will run an 8 month festival circuit to
see where it can take us. After that, we will throw it up on Vimeo for
anyone to see. So it all depends on post production really. Any future projects beyond The
Passage? Absolutely. We already have a few stories in
mind and the few people we have mentioned them to have gotten the
chills... I've actually seen a friend of ours get goosebumps while I was
explaining a short scene from our next project. We want to take on things
that scare people that nobody really talks about.
What got you into filmmaking in the first
place, and did you receive any formal training on the subject? I've
always found movies fascinating. I knew one day I'd make my own, I just
had no idea how to go about making it happen. So I did my research... every
day. I tried to make sure I learned something new as often as I possibly
could and still do. I am self taught, but I can't say I haven't been
granted some incredible tips from fellow filmmakers. What
can you tell us about your filmwork prior to The Passage? The
Passage is my first true film. I've made a couple of shorts with friends
of mine while I was trying to get to the point of knowledge in filmmaking
that I've reached now, but nothing that we had the budget or time to
really turn into something like The Passage. I've directed
music videos for about two years now, some of them strictly performance
and others that lean more towards the narrative side. But this is my first
and for sure not my last film. How
would you describe yourself as a director?
I think I'm more
of a visual director. I see exactly what it is I am trying to put on the
screen and won't accept the shot until it is precisely what I had
imagined. The story is just as important to me, but I feel like I build
the story while visualizing what would happen next based on what I'm
seeing. Filmmakers
who inspire you? Tarantino, Reiner and of course Kubrick.
As an atheist, they have become the closest thing to Gods for me
personally. Your favourite movies?
I feel like whenever someone asks this question
I end up thinking of ten more films I'm in love with after I have already
answered.
I'm gonna just say Stand By Me... Stand By
Me... STAND BY ME.
But when it comes to horror, I can break it
down quite simply... The Shining,The
Exorcist, House of The Devil, A
Nightmare On Elm Street.
...
and of course, films you really deplore?
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I guess there
aren't movies that I find truly unacceptable, since I'm either laughing at
how bad it is, or finding at least one thing to appreciate about the
production. But I can tell you right now, Troll 2
is the
hardest movie ever to watch. Your/your
movie's website, Facebook, IndieGoGo, whatever else?
www.thepassagehorrorfilm.com
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-passage-a-short-horror-film/x/11429177#/story
Instagram - @thepassagehorrorfilm
Twitter - @thepassage_film
www.Facebook.com/thepassagehorrorfilm
#thepassagefilm
Anything
else you are dying to tell us and I have merely forgotten to ask? I
think these questions cover almost everything. Just keep an eye out for
our film. We can't wait to scare you all... Thanks
for the interview!
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