Your new movie Paranormal
Farm 3: Halloween - in a few words, what is it about?
Paranormal
Farm 3: Halloween sees myself and Taz return to the farm to finish the behind-the-scenes
documentary - in doing so we wanted to tie up all loose ends from
the other two films.
Paranormal
Farm 3: Halloween is a direct continuation from the first two
Paranormal
Farm movies - so was the concept intended as a series from the
get-go, and how do you think the third film complements but also differs
from the first two?
Part One was supposed to be a standalone found footage film, but
as soon as this
film captured the imagination of its viewers we discovered we had some
hardcore fans who were asking for more, so parts Two and
Three were
crafted for them. That
being said we had so much fun making these films - I always say if you have
fun making the films this emulates onto your audience.
What were your sources of
inspiration when writing both Paranormal
Farm 3: Halloween and the series as a whole? And do
talk about youf movie's approach to horror!
with Lucy French |
When crafting Paranormal
Farm 3: Halloween I knew it had to remain meta in its approach,
what I capture on the iPhone has to feel like I’m shooting a
behind-the-scenes documentary, this footage has to appear unedited and
authentic, but still tell the necessary story. My challenge was to ensure
it does not play out as a punchy polished film, it had to feel choppy, raw
and engaging. And I don’t take for granted for a viewer to arrive at the
final resolve throughout this trilogy, a viewer has to invest over 5
hours, which is a big ask, however with new data highlighting habits of
binge viewing behaviours, I knew it was imperative for my audience care
about and believe in the characters, but also in the story itself. I hear
from many fans who really are invested in our characters and really feel
invested in the actual investigation itself. I am flattered that so many
viewers have not only committed to the trilogy but are asking for another
chapter. This delights me that people embrace the films with the heart and
spirit that was intended.
There
are many salutes to horror films I have loved over the years. Part
Three
pays tribute to Carrie, Halloween, but the biggest twist in part three is
that the trilogy sits in the same universe as our previous film The
Spiritualist, this was a big talking point among many of our hardcore
fans who have seen our wider catalogue of horror films.
Darren Earl Williams |
All
three Paranormal
Farm movies were shot found footage style - why, and how do you
feel this approach to filmmaking has evolved from film to film (if at
all)?
The
power of found footage is how it transports the viewers from their armchairs
to the farm, it's designed that they are the investigator and quite often
one step ahead of the investigation from mine and Taz’s characters, the
biggest step change in style was from part one where you think your
watching found footage to the other parts where we acknowledge part
One was in fact a film, and parts Two and
Three
were us making a behind-the-scenes
documentary to support the film, that’s when the meta approach really
turned itself on its head. Also in parts Two and
Three Taz does most of the
camera work which places me further into the documentary and gives me a
partner in crime.
You used the same farm for all three
Paranormal
Farm movies - so have the films at all affected the location, and
what was it like filming there time and again? The
farm has a true place in my heart, coming from a farming background myself
it’s a landscape I’m familiar with and have some of my fondest
childhood memories from. I feel farms that are vast in size can make you feel
isolated and can often be brutal, so these are the perfect qualities for
horror. Although it was great to have a familiar setting for us and the
audience, it was important that in each film, we discover a wider community
so each film feels bigger and introduces us to other country folk.
with Caroline Burns Cooke |
What can
you tell us about Paranormal
Farm 3: Halloween's key cast, and why exactly these people?
Darren Earl Williams and Lucy French really do play themselves on their farm. I always love capturing
authenticity, if you film interesting people then the audience become
interested. So casting them is a no brainer, the same with Harvey. Part
of the appeal is the fact the audience really don’t know if they are
just brilliant actors or it's real, that has always been the biggest compliment to us all as that was what we strived and hoped for, myself and
Taz just love telling horror stories, we are kindred spirits and just love
scaring each other, many of the jump scares in part Three
are real where we just
played tricks on each other so we capture genuine reactions. Then we
have the actors, which really made me think about our approach in using
actors along non-actors. Fortunately I knew who would be the perfect blend
from the outset and I got all three actors needed to bring the drama. I
knew part Three
was all about drama and resolve so it had to lean into a Murder She
Wrote climax and I needed elements of naturalism and moments of
melodrama which Robert
Gray, Caroline Burns Cooke and Nicole Faraday provided in bucket loads. I
have directed Robert and Caroline in previous films and loved Nicole in Bad
Girls and Emmerdale Farm - I guess that's a winning formula for
Paranormal
Farm 3: Halloween.
A
few words about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere? I
can only describe these as passion projects, when I step onto Lucy and
Darren’s farm I transend into another world, a word with no boundaries
and open to 5 days of play and creativity, I go back to a childlike state,
have fun, it's liberating making a film from a passionate space and not a
storyboard in sight. I grow as a director and performer on the farm,
it’s amazing what some fresh air and allowing yourself to be vulnerable
can do. I think because we have fun with these films people have fun with
them. Its only currency these films are created on is love, fun,
friendship and plenty of heart that what makes them original and connect
with the audience.
with Nicole Faraday
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Anything
you can tell us about audience and critical reception of Paranormal
Farm 3: Halloween? I’ve
been blown away with the reviews we have received - in my career as a writer director/producer
I’ve noticed when my films connect with its intended audience, but I’ve
never really had a following like this, I have students wanting to make a
documentary about the films, people connect with me on social media
telling me of their marathon days when they meet with their friend and
have a trilogy screening marathon. Social media has shown this franchise a
lot of love. It makes me happy that these films have a wide appeal beyond
found footage. I’m not saying its everyone’s cup of tea, after
all there are people who prefer coffee, I only make these films on the
request of the audience, when they have enough then I'll focus more
on my other films. Will there ever be a Paranormal
Farm 4, and/or any other future projects you'd like to share? Well
some people say The
Spiritualist is part four as that’s the
timeline of the films that exist in the same universe. All I can reveal
now is Paranormal
Farm 3: Halloween ends with a phone call where we have been asked to
investigate a haunted house in Hollywood, so will Taz and myself be able
to turn down shooting our first Hollywood film? Ermmm no lol, and there has
been a real death in this house so I’m sure there will be some ghosts
coming out the closets over there. There is a couple other films I
aim to direct , one on Rose West and a thriller set in Brighton, all depending
on funding etc.
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Your/your
movie's website, Facebook, whatever else?
www.carlmedland.com
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Anything
else you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?
Just
if anyone likes the films please write a review on Amazon or tweet about it.
Thanks
for the interview!
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