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| How
long did your project take
to create, from conception
to final completion? |
| The
project took 1 year from
the time I wrote the script
to the time it will be ready
to screen. |
|
| Where
did your inspiration come
from? |
| My
inspiration for this film
comes from my love of Asian
Horror Cinema. I have been
a fan of anything from bizarre
underground Indonesian horror
films on VCD to Japanse
horror. I wanted to make
a horror film that was a
little different from all
the tits, torture and gore
films out there. I consider
this film more of a supernatural-horror-thriller,
there is no nudity or excessive
gore. My philosophy is always
STORY OVER SPECTACLE, not
the other way around. I
feel a lot of low-budget
horror relies too much on
the tits, ass and gore so
they can market the film. |
|
| Is
Horror or Sci-Fi your primary
creative interest? |
| Horror
has been my primary interest
for a long time. I have
directed 5 other horror
films, mostly for Full Moon
Pictures. I am a big fan
of dark comedy and i would
like to work in this genre
as well. |
|
| Can
you describe a typical day
in the creative process? |
| Lots
of hours in from of a blank
Mac Book Pro. Writing a
screenplay is a craft, it
is not something that should
be hacked out in a weekend
when you have some time
off. I spent months on Ghost
Month constantly changing
and re-writing. During production
a typical day is full of
problems. A director is
a problem solver. a psychologist,
a multi-tasker, the guy
with all the answers. A
director does not get tired
or complain. A director
is a leader. A director
sticks to his vision and
gets the work done no matter
what goes on around him. |
|
| Who
do you consider to be the
greatest horror writer? |
| H.P.
Lovecraft tops the list. |
|
|
| Can
you recall the first horror
film that left a lasting
impression on you? |
| "The
Changeling" and "Rosemary's
Baby" were the most influential
horror films for me. |
|
| Who
do you consider to be the
greatest 'Master of Horror'? |
| I
made a film with current
"Master of Horror"
Stuart Gordon (re-animator),
called "Stuart Gordon
presents Deathbed."
it was an ultra-low budget
film made for 25k in 2002.
Stuart and I remain friends
and I have to say he has
been a great mentor and
I consider him on of the
great Masters of Horror.
I am also very fond of Dario
Argento, Cronenberg, and
Kubrick ("The Shining"). |
|
| How
did you find your cast? |
| I
hand pick all the actors.
I have worked with Rick
Irvin before on several
films, but everyone else
is a fresh new face. They
are all very talented and
I spent a lot of time working
with them on set on performance.
The film was shot on location
in a very remote mountain
area of Nevada.. |
|
| What
is you most memorable moment
while making your film? |
| We
had a blizzard snow us in
at the mountain home we
were shooting at. Within
minutes all our gear was
covered in SNOW! |
|
| After
your first cut, how many
re-edits did you do? |
| Many.
Editing is the heart of
filmmaking, it can make
or break a scene, or make
an actor look like an idiot.
After you shoot your film,
editing is that long process
of chipping away the stone
to make a beautiful statue.. |
|
| Did
you shoot on film or with
digital cameras? |
| I
only shoot on film. I am
not a snob or purist, but
as an artist I feel it is
important to have a choice.
There is something magical
in a photo-chemical process,
I just don't see it on digital. |
|
| How
many members of your cast
and crew? |
| Six
actors and eight crewmembers. |
|
| If
you could choose any famous
actors to work with on future
projects, who would they
be? |
| I
actually like working with
unknown actors. I feel an
unknown, fresh talented
face brings a certain realism
to the story. Famous actors
tend to have their personal
lives constantly saturated
into the media. The more
I know about an actor's
sex life, drug problems,
or political agendas, I
tend to always think of
those things when I see
them in a film. Maybe I'm
crazy, but as a filmmaker
I want you to have an experience
with the story, not the
actor playing the character.
I don't like the horror
trend these days to put
"horror legends"
in every film. Companies
love to stick them in a
film for 5 minutes and give
them top billing. My company
will never do that. |
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