The Nick Taylor Horror Show

Latest Episodes:

MALUM Director Anthony DiBlasi [Episode 106] Jun 29, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to The Nick Taylor Horror Show! Today, we have a dynamic duo, Director Anthony DiBlasi, and his wife, actress Natalie Victoria, joining us.

After graduating from Emerson College and moving to Los Angeles, Anthony became a protégé of Clive Barker and worked alongside him on films like Midnight Meat Train and 2009's Book of Blood.

Anthony made his directorial debut with the psychological thriller Dread, based on a Clive Barker short story. One of Anthony's most acclaimed films was Last Shift, released by Magnolia Pictures in 2015. His filmography also includes the psychological thriller Extremity from 2018.

Now let's talk about Anthony's Wife, Natalie Victoria. Beginning her career in theater, Natalie has earned awards and recognition for her acting and writing. Natalie has acted in various features, short films, and stage plays, including the comedy "Deadheads," and the cult classic horror film Last Shift.

Natalie stars in Anthony's latest release Malum, which is actually a remake of Last Shift. The film follows a rookie police officer as she uncovers the eerie connection between her father's death and a vicious cult during her shift at a decommissioned police station. As the lone officer on duty, she finds herself in the midst of terrifying paranormal events while learning the shocking truth about her family's history with the cult.

In our conversation today, we discuss the importance of building trust with actors, crafting horror based on personal fears, and Anthony's 10 years working with Clive Barker. Here for your listening pleasure are Natalie Victoria and Anthony DiBlasi.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Anthony DiBlasi.

Make Hell a safe space.

I've talked with people at length about how horror can be substantially more demanding on actors because it requires the most intense emotions. For this reason, horror directors need to take particularly great care of their actors. Anthony mentioned that it's essential for directors to shield their actors from on-set turmoil, especially time constraints. By ensuring your actors are cocooned from such pressures, even at the cost of other departments, you provide them with the environment necessary for a stellar performance.

Forge an emotional connection to your actors.

Anthony also stressed the significance of establishing genuine emotional connections with your actors. It's the director's job to uncover the emotional truth that resonates with the actor for each scene. Rather than rudely prying them for emotionally intimate details of their life, Anthony stated that he would often reveal intimate and vulnerable details about himself and how he related to a scene to enable them to open up. Art often requires vulnerability; if you want your actors to go to dark places, you have to be willing to go there first.

Find out how your actors like to work. Further, Anthony and Natalie underlined the importance of understanding your actor's preferred way of working and direction style. Encourage them to share past directing experiences, both good and bad. Every actor is different, and tuning into their specific needs will mold you into a more versatile director.

Create a repository

When it came to the creation of Malum, Anthony revealed how various elements - dreams, sketches, vague concepts - had been incorporated into the film. Fortunately, his habit of consistently jotting down ideas, no matter how undeveloped, provided a wealth of material, or 'firewood' as David Lynch would say, all of which was at his disposal during the scriptwriting process. As a result, Anthony strongly encourages the use of note-taking apps (like Evernote and Notion), as they can be game changers. Amassing your thoughts over time can make facing that blank page far less daunting.

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SWALLOWED Director, Carter Smith [Episode 105] Jun 22, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to The Nick Taylor Horror Show! Carter Smith is a writer, director, and photographer who has directed movies such as The Ruins, Midnight Kiss, and, most recently, Swallowed.

Swallowed is an independent body horror film about two friends who find themselves swallowed up in a drug smuggling operation where they ingest drug-filled sacs and trigger a chain of horrific events.

This is my second interview with Carter, so if you're interested in his director origin story, including his work with Paramount and Blumhouse, you should definitely go check out episode 34.

In this interview, we cover the making of Swallowed, the benefits of working with a lower budget and smaller crew, and how to puppeteer monstrous worms. All this and so much more on the Nick Taylor Horror Show.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Carter.

Write what you can make on your own.

This is a recurring theme in these interviews. As both Robert Rodriguez and Kevin Smith did with their first movies, Carter took an inventory of everything he had access to and then built his script around that. This included a white van and a hunting lodge, both of which appeared in the movie. It's easy to write beyond your budget, but it's still important to maximize production value; everyone typically has access to something that can boost production value; a house, property, a friend with a boat, etc. Figure out yours and write a script around it.

Make your second first film.

Common advice or direction in the film industry has a lot of directors always trying to substantially increase their budget with every subsequent movie. It's what agents advise, but it can be creatively limiting and leave you in a desert for years. If you have a movie under your belt, doing one at a lower budget is not a step backward, so it shouldn't be for your ego (or your agents). Carter has done movies for Paramount and Blumhouse but was itching for a project and went for it with his own money. It's ballsy, for sure, but it's what artists do.

Write with the budget in mind.

With his budget so low, Carter surmised early on that he and his crew could shoot at a rate of 6 pages per day, so he structured his script entirely around this shooting schedule and made sure that each scene only lasted 6 or 12 pages so he could maximize locations and minimize company moves. As much as it may feel like you're stifling creativity, putting these guardrails in early in your creative process can save a substantial budget and, as Carter says, can actually be creatively liberating since limitations force creativity.

Low-budget movies mentioned:

- Horrible Way to Die

- Hellbender

- Sun Don’t Shine

- Are we not Cats

- Always Shine

- Toad Road

- The Deeper you dig

- Blue Ruin

- She Dies Tomorrow

- Pyewacket

Books:

- Like Brothers by The Duplass Brothers

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THE APOLOGY Writer/Director, Alison Star Locke [Episode 104] Jun 14, 2023

Show notes

Alison Star Locke is a writer and director who recently released her excellent feature debut, The Apology, with Anna Gunn, Jeanine Garofalo, and Linus Roache.

20 years after her daughter's disappearance, a woman's Christmas gathering spirals into a suspenseful showdown when an unexpected guest arrives with haunting secrets. As a storm traps them together, past grudges and hidden truths turn merry festivities into a psychological battleground.

This film combines emotional drama with horror and overall creates a very atmospheric exploration of guilt, loss, and revenge. I'll tell you the suspense building in this movie was masterful, and I was very nerve-wracked up until the end.

The Apology will be streaming on Hulu beginning tomorrow, June 16th, also available on VOD.

In this episode, we'll get into Alison's filmmaking origin story, the importance of putting personal truths into horror, and how she's able to get compelling performances from her actors when they have to go to the depths of the human psyche. Please enjoy this conversation with Alison Star Locke.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Alison.

Nurture current relationships and collaborations.

The opportunity for Alison to direct her first feature arose from an existing contact she had who she originally asked for feedback on The Apology. This underscores a key insight: while networking and forging new connections are important, sometimes there's immense value in recognizing and nurturing the relationships you already have. The quest for new connections can sometimes overshadow the potential of the relationships right under your nose, those that may harbor incredible opportunities.

Use Star Cards.

Alison effectively employed a unique tool on her set that she called Star Cards. These cards acted as written reminders that kept her aligned with her film's true intentions. On a bustling film set with countless decisions to make and problems to solve, it's surprisingly easy to lose sight of the original vision. That's why having something tangible that aligns you to your 'true north' can be an invaluable resource to constantly remind you of the core vision and intention of your movie. Star Cards can act as that anchor amidst the chaos, keeping the director grounded and focused.

Jump into emotional trenches with your actors

Horror filmmaking, when executed with authenticity, often demands that actors plunge into deep, dark places of fear, suffering, and violence. This can be daunting, emotionally taxing, even traumatic for actors. It's crucial then, as Alison points out, for a director to be right there with their actors in their emotional trenches. Alison operates under the principle of never asking her actors to emotionally go to places that she herself wouldn’t go, and in the case of The Apology, she often shared her own experiences and emotions that were related to the work itself. This practice not only fosters a sense of safety and trust but also demonstrates the director's solidarity with their actors - ultimately reinforcing the idea that they are all on this journey together and in the same foxhole.

Anyway, guys, thank you as always for listening, don’t forget to check out The Apology, which will begin streaming on Hulu beginning tomorrow, June 16th, also on VOD.

Show Notes:

Directing Actors & The Film Director's Intuition by Judith Weston

John Sayles (writer)

Scriptation - script annotation software

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WHAT JOSIAH SAW Director, Vincent Grashaw [Episode 103] Jun 01, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to the Nick Taylor Horror Show. 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.

Join me in welcoming Vincent Grashaw! Vincent is a writer-director known for films like Coldwater, And Then I Go, and last year's stunner, What Josiah Saw.

What Josiah Saw is a southern gothic psychological horror drama that takes us into the heart of a dysfunctional family's grim reunion at their remote farmhouse. The film unravels a tapestry of secrets and sins, ultimately confronting the profound impact of generational trauma.

With an exceptional ensemble cast including Robert Patrick, Nick Stahl, Scott Haze, and Kelli Garner, What Josiah Saw is a powerful and unflinching piece of southern fried noir cinema. The film holds a rightfully earned 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and you can catch it right now on Shudder. I highly recommend this film but be careful who you watch it with because it gets pretty intense.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Vincent Grashaw:

Vet your actors.

Lots of well-known actors disappear from the limelight simply because they're difficult to work with. Talent is not enough, your actors have to be cooperative and collaborative or else you can be in a world of pain. This is why it's critical to dig deeper into your potential hires. Speak to producers, casting directors, and trustworthy actors. See if they're game for the demands of your production, including long hours, low budgets and shooting styles. This is vital for your lead actors but also goes for your key crew. A single ego can disrupt the whole set's harmony. So, do your vetting, awkward as it may feel, it'll save you substantial heartache.

There’s an insight in every note.

When gathering feedback on edits for

Josiah, Vincent discovered that those unattached to the movie were typically more objective, even if their notes sometimes annoyed him or suggested they missed the movie's point. He learned to check his ego when facing feedback, striving to find the truth in every single critique. It's easy to shrug off notes and feedback, and that's often your ego talking. After your first edit, you're likely too close to your movie to spot its flaws. So heed the feedback, even if it seems uninformed at first glance. Find the commonalities in the notes and dig beyond yourself to figure out what needs fixing.

Overprepare.

The beautiful direction and tonal unity inWhat Josiah Saw didn't happen by chance. Vincent stressed that over-preparation grants you the leeway to be organic during shooting. Yet, relying on spontaneity without preparation is a straight path to failure. A director's job is to be so deeply rooted in their vision of the movie that they can pivot at a moment's notice and answer the thousands of questions that arise on the day. Seemingly paradoxical, over-preparation is your secret weapon for improvisation, allowing you to adapt swiftly and effectively to any curveball the production throws at you.

Thanks as always for listening and keep an eye out for Vincent's upcoming project "Bang Bang," a gritty drama starring Tim Blake Nelson as a retired boxer who finds redemption through caring for his grandson.

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The Anatomy of Horror with Genre Scholar John Truby [Episode 102] May 18, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to the Nick Taylor Horror Show.

John Truby is a widely known name in the realms of screenwriting and storytelling, having shaped the narratives of over 1,000 film scripts as a consultant. John is also the author of multiple books, including 'Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller,' and his latest release, 'The Anatomy of Genres: How Story Forms Explain the Way the World Works,' which delves into the core elements that shape various genres, with a big focus on horror.

On top of being an acclaimed author, John is also a lecturer and course creator with online courses that meticulously analyze multiple genres, and his horror/fantasy/sci-fi class is truly excellent.

In today's conversation, we'll be dissecting the horror genre, from its structural elements to its primal effects on human beings. We'll explore common mistakes in horror scripts and discuss how writers can keep their horror narratives fresh and riveting.

This interview is packed with insight, and we've designed it to be a tight 30-minute segment that can be easily revisited whenever you're about to embark on a new horror project, so I hope you enjoy and get a lot out of it.

John is clearly the real deal when it comes to understanding genre, and I would put his work alongside Save the Cat and On Writing By Steven King when it comes to your essential intake materials.

I recommend getting his new book and downloading his horror course to get the most out of his materials. To get your hands on John's new book, 'The Anatomy of Genres,' head over to anatomyofgenres.com, and for more information about his story courses and story software, visit truby.com.

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

Show Notes:

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THE OFFERING Director, Oliver Park on The Study of Fear [Episode 101] May 12, 2023

Show notes

"Fear is earned through character; you might hear someone say that you're only as scared as the characters on the screen."

Welcome to the Nick Taylor Horror Show!

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.

Judaic demonology has carved out its niche as a legitimate horror sub-genre with entries like 2019's The Vigil, Sam Raimi's The Possession, 2022's Lullaby, and most recently, The Offering. Set in a Brooklyn Hasidic enclave, the film draws its plot from the Jewish folktale of Abyzou, a female demon blamed for miscarriages and infant mortality. Shot on a relatively low budget, The Offering is a riveting horror drama that showcases indelible character-building, great performances, and stunning cinematography, ultimately marking an undeniably impressive debut for our guest today, Oliver Park.

Oliver Park is a British horror writer and director best known for his short films Vicious and Still, which have been praised by fans and critics alike. The Offering is his first feature and is now streaming on Hulu.

In this conversation, we delve into Oliver's directorial origin story, the making of The Offering, and an exploration of what it means to be a scholar of fear.

Here are some key takeaways from this conversation with Oliver Park.

Build fear through character and story.

The Offering excels at character development, with each character displaying a significant amount of depth and well-crafted backstory. This aspect contributes greatly to the film's effectiveness, as understanding the characters leads to caring for them. When you care for the characters, you empathize with their struggles, and that empathy ultimately transforms into fear for their well-being, which is ultimately what can make your movie genuinely scary.

Be flexible and foster a secure atmosphere for actors.

The acting in The Offering is impressive, especially considering it's Oliver's first feature film. He emphasized the importance of creating a secure environment for actors, which primarily involves giving them the space and time they require and protecting them from on-set chaos. This is achieved by briefing the crew beforehand and closely collaborating with your AD regarding set pacing while also advocating for more time when necessary. Particularly in low-budget films, there's often pressure to move at a rapid clip, but the subtle details that can make or break a movie, such as performance nuances, require time and are ultimately worth the investment. Learn to create the space needed for actors to deliver their best work, even when working at a fast pace.

Stay closely connected with the story to make adjustments during production.

Oliver mentioned that several unexpected events occurred while making The Offering, but instead of panicking, he managed to bounce back because of his deep understanding of the story. Relying too heavily on specific scenes, dialogue, or set pieces can make your movie vulnerable to collapse if things don't go as planned. To build resilience, become so intimately familiar with the story that you can quickly devise alternative solutions that still remain true to the story's core. This will give you the adaptability to turn on a dime and rewrite scenes, dialogue, etc., when things inevitably go wrong.

Scares, Story, Character; the magic short solution.

Oliver offered an extremely powerful distillation of principles for producing a powerful short; this is a nugget of pure gold. He stated that people will take you seriously if you can create fear and build great characters with a solid story underneath it all. This may sound simple, but it's very difficult and the main challenge for horror filmmakers. Watch Oliver's short Vicious as well as the short of Parker Finn and David Sandberg for examples of this.

Show Notes:

Oliver's short films, Vicious and Still.
Book: The Idea of the Holy by Rudolf Otto

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EPISODE 100: SMILE Director, Parker Finn Nov 23, 2022

Show notes

Welcome to the Nick Taylor Horror show, Episode 100!

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

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Podcast Storyteller Extraordinaire, Mark Ramsey [Bonus] Nov 18, 2022

Show notes

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.

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SISSY Directors, Kane Senes & Hannah Barlow [Episode 99] Nov 10, 2022

Show notes

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.

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SALOUM Director, Jean Luc Herbulot [Episode 98] Nov 03, 2022

Show notes

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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